Kristina Kljajic
BBC journalist
Sweets have always been my most toxic relationship.
A month ago, I decided that sugar and I would break up forever.
It wasn't easy for me at all.
Ever since I was little, I "had" to have at least a piece of chocolate after every meal (and often a few bars, to be honest).
Sweetness has always been there: with learning, with stress, with joy.
However, this time I decided - no more midnight deliveries of pancakes with cream, no chocolate bars at work, no cake at parties, and not even sugar in my coffee.
This is my little diary of quitting sugar and trying to break the sweetest "addiction".
"Sugar intake cannot be equated with the intake of addictive psychoactive substances that we speak of in classical medical terminology," endocrinologist Nataša Rajković tells BBC Serbian.
However, consuming sugar raises dopamine levels and thus triggers a feeling of pleasure, similar to the feeling after consuming some psychoactive substances, he adds.
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, which means it is a chemical that carries messages between nerves in the brain.
Sugars are added some processed food to make it tastier, fattier and "more hearty", and their impact is not only on the palate, but also on the brain.
Due to the strong stimulation of the reward center, Scientists have been debating for decades Is it possible to develop a sugar addiction?
Research conducted in the last five years have shown that a diet with more than 150 grams of sugar per day reduces insulin sensitivity and increases the risk of high blood pressure and cholesterol.
"The problem is not only that sugar affects insulin levels, but also that it can lead to diabetes," explains nutritionist Đorđe Pejić for BBC Serbian.
"Large amounts of sweets affect the metabolism of fatty acids and triglycerides, which can cause elevated cholesterol, fatty liver, and metabolic disorders," he adds.
Diabetes, or sugar disease, is a chronic metabolic disorder that occurs when the body does not produce enough insulin or does not use it effectively.
Insulin is a hormone that regulates the level of sugar (glucose) in the blood.
World Health Organization November 14th marks World Diabetes Day., a disease that affects people of different ages - from childhood to old age.
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Day One: What is the relationship between sugar and dopamine?
On the first day, I mostly ate vegetables and drank water.
I avoided coffee, so as not to be tempted to sweeten it.
Around noon, the nervousness began.
I walked around the office, looking at the box of cookies on the desk.
One of my colleagues said he was going to the store and asked me if I wanted something sweet.
"I want everything," I thought to myself.
"No thanks, I'm avoiding sweets these days," I said out loud, feeling dissatisfied.
When we eat sugar, we feel pleasure because sucrose activates sweet taste receptors in the mouth, says Pejić.
"When we are exposed to a rewarding stimulus, the brain responds by releasing dopamine, but we very quickly enter this vicious cycle, because we want to get that pleasure again like when we took sugar," he adds.
Experiments in both animals and humans have shown how strongly sugar activates reward pathways, he wrote earlier. BBC.
Sugar can activate them whether it is felt in the mouth or secreted into the bloodstream, as has been shown. research on mice.
"There is a certain type of tolerance to carbohydrate intake, and that's why we need larger amounts to get the pleasure effect," says Rajković.
Carbohydrates are a key part of the diet for energy for the body, and they are found in foods such as bread, grains, fruits, vegetables, and dairy products.
"In rare situations in people who have insulin resistance, sugar intake can lead to a drop in blood sugar and the need to eat something sweet again, which resembles a physical addiction to sweets," says the doctor.
But, he continues, it is only reminiscent of and not identical to physical dependence on psychoactive substances.
Insulin resistance is a metabolic disorder in which cells become insensitive to insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar levels.
Insulin resistance and the poor quality of the pancreatic cells that produce insulin are the reason for the development of type 2 diabetes, says Dr. Rajković.
Type two diabetes, often called adult-onset diabetes, is a common disease in which the body is unable to properly utilize sugar in the body.
Symptoms are mainly increased thirst, frequent urination and constant hunger.
A high intake of carbohydrate-rich foods such as sweets, bread, pies, and pastries contributes to the development of insulin resistance, the next stage of which can be type 2 diabetes, she adds.
"Some people have poorer quality of the pancreatic cells that secrete insulin."
"If they consume increased amounts of sugar for a long time, then the pancreas loses its capacity to secrete insulin and diabetes develops," says the endocrinologist.
The pancreas is a gland located behind the stomach and has two main functions: secreting digestive enzymes into the small intestine and secreting hormones such as insulin and glucagon into the blood.
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Day two: What happens in our body when sugar is eliminated?
The next day, new trials awaited me.
First there was the cake brought by a colleague.
I looked at the whipped cream candy on the table and listened to others comment on how delicious it was.
I managed somehow, I had a little headache and I was tired.
And I envied everyone who enjoyed that sweet treat.
The second difficult task was not to eat after going out on the town.
While my friends were ordering fast food full of spreads and toppings (also full of sugar), I stood a few meters away from them.
I felt hunger and envy - again.
Reducing sugar intake also reduces calorie intake, which can help with weight loss.
However, certain physical disturbances occur, such as low mood, anxiety, mental fogginess, and food cravings, along with headaches, fatigue, and dizziness.
The reasons for these side effects so far are not fully explained.
This is the so-called "sugar withdrawal crisis."
A decrease in dopamine could affect multiple brain systems at once, causing discomfort - both mental and physical.
One research on obese adolescents showed clear withdrawal symptoms and increased cravings when they stopped consuming sugar.
This means that eliminating sugar from your diet can be very unpleasant, both mentally and physically, says Pejić.
"As with any other dietary change, persistence is key."
"It's important, however, to accept that sugar is not inherently bad, but should only be eaten in moderation, along with a healthy diet and exercise," he adds.
Sweets have been an integral part of Belgrade resident Jakov Ponjavić's diet since childhood.
"When I was a little kid and went to my grandmother's house in the village, I often ate sugar cubes if there was nothing sweet," he says.
Over time, he learned that sugar can have a negative impact on physical health, as well as mood, and he decided to change his habits.
"It was hard, but I felt much better."
"However, after a while, little by little, I reintroduced sweets and sugar in other forms back into my diet."
How does sugar affect the body?
Excessive intake of refined sugar affects:
- weight gain
- intestinal flora disorder
- the relationship between "good" and "bad" bacteria
- hormonal balance
- metabolic health
Source: Harvard Medical School
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What sugars are there?
Types of sugar can be divided into simple (consisting of one molecule) and more complex (having more molecules).
Among the most common simple sugars are glucose, fructose (fruit sugar), sucrose, lactose (milk sugar), and maltose.
Glucose is the main form of sugar in the human body.
It is found in fruits, honey, and vegetables.
Table sugar, known as sucrose, can be found in sugar cane and sugar beets, while glucose and fructose are the main ingredients of honey.
Maltose is often used in the production of beer and other fermented products, and is found in grains, such as barley.
"Different sugars have different glycemic indexes," says nutritionist Pejić.
The glycemic index (GI) is a value that shows how quickly a food raises blood sugar levels after consumption, and ranges on a scale from 0 to 100.
"Foods with more fructose have a lower glycemic index, which means they are more easily broken down in the body," he adds.
However, regardless of the type of sugar, they have a high energy value, he adds.
"The only difference is in the glycemic index."
"Simply put, raspberries will raise blood sugar levels less, while bananas will raise them more," adds Pejić.
Day three: How to reduce sugar intake?
Sweeteners that are promoted as natural and healthier, such as agave or maple syrup, are increasingly available on the market, says the nutritionist.
"However, their chemical structure is very similar to regular sugar and the body metabolizes them in a similar way."
"These sweeteners are not completely harmless, they are just marketed differently," adds Pejić.
However, coconut sugar, which has the lowest glycemic index among natural sweeteners, can be a substitute.
"In small amounts, it won't significantly raise insulin levels, and it also contains some fiber, making it the least harmful compared to others," he adds.
Throwing out sweets and confectionery products It is the most important step towards a healthier diet, Harvard says.
However, we often consume sugar "hiddenly".
"You should always read labels, because sugar is also found in foods that we don't perceive as sweet, such as bread, sauces, ketchup, and mayonnaise," says Pejić.
Anything that has "more than five grams of sugar per 100 grams of product is not the healthiest option."
Most often "traps" are snacks, spreads, ready-made sauces and dressings, as well as industrial bakery products.
"Ideally, products with a higher amount of sugar should be consumed no more than once every three days, along with a balanced diet," says Pejić.
The problem, he adds, is that one rarely stays with just one piece of chocolate.
"Sugar disrupts the hormones leptin and ghrelin, which control feelings of hunger and satiety."
"That's why the brain doesn't register satiety in time after consuming large amounts of sugar."
This can lead to a vicious circle.
"We eat more than we planned, and hunger returns more quickly," the nutritionist concludes.
To avoid feeling nervous and anxious, 45-year-old Zoran Janković very rarely skips sweets during the day.
Sometimes the day starts like that.
"There have been a few times when I've had cake or chocolate for breakfast," he tells the BBC.
It's similar for me.
The next morning I ordered pancakes with cream and biscuits for breakfast.
It was the weekend, it was nine in the morning, and I didn't care about determination anymore.
Just this once, I told myself, and then maybe I can look for some healthier options.
And maybe I was lying to myself (again).
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