Vitamin Deficiency and Sugar Cravings
Do you have a sugar craving after each meal or crave it every minute of each passing day? Well, sugar cravings are common and can result from simple things like some foods and drinks in your diet that have reprogrammed your brain.
However, some sugar cravings can result from an underlying vitamin deficiency. Therefore, the next time you reach for a sugar pastry at home or work, you should ask yourself why you’re craving sugar and how you can curb your cravings.
This review will discuss some of the vitamin deficiencies that cause sugar cravings, how to curb sugar cravings and when to see a doctor due to sugar cravings.
The Vitamin Deficiencies Responsible for Sugar Cravings Include:
B Vitamins
What Vitamin Deficiency Causes Sugar Cravings
If you’re craving sugar treats, one of the reasons is that your body is deficient in B vitamins, particularly B12 (cobalamin). It could also be that your blood glucose is out of control.
Sugar cravings also point to not being happy because vitamin B12 helps with the production of serotonin (the feel-good hormone), making you feel happy.
B vitamins effectively restrict sugar cravings because they offer a much-needed boost to the adrenal system; when this system isn’t working well, sugar cravings rise.
Vitamin C
Like vitamin B12 (cobalamin), vitamin C can also improve the production of serotonin (the feel-good hormone) which can help curb sugar cravings.
If you don’t have adequate vitamin C in your body, you’ll definitely have an incessant need to consume sugar. Fortunately, foods like citrus fruits can boost your vitamin C intake.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D deficiency is a big problem nowadays, but lack of adequate sun exposure isn’t the only cause. The other cause is too much or too little sugar intake in the body.
Studies have found that consuming too much sugar, for instance, in the form of fructose, can increase the production of an enzyme responsible for degrading vitamin D. The result is a reduction in the amount of vitamin D in the body.
Fortunately, you don’t have to consume sugary foods to improve your vitamin D levels. Commonly available foods like eggs, fatty fish, and red meat can boost your body’s vitamin D levels, helping curb your sugar cravings.
How Can You Curb Your Sugar Cravings?
If you’re battling severe sugar cravings each passing day, take things one day at a time. But, you can use the tips below to curb your cravings:
Avoid Refined Carbs
Refined carbs like white bread, rice, and pasta, breakfast cereal, and pastries can cause dramatic rises and dips in your blood sugar levels, leading to sugar cravings. So, you should replace refined carbs with complex ones like brown rice, whole-grain bread, and pasta.
Drink Green Juice
Sometimes when you have a sugar craving, it might be your body informing you that you’re lacking adequate greenery in your diet. You can cook your greens, but if you want to get the most nutrients out of them, make some green juice or buy a bottle from the grocery store.
Leafy green juice is packed with nutrients that eliminate sugar cravings. Even better, once you start taking green juice, your body will start craving greens as opposed to sugar.
Eat Regularly
If there is a massive gap between your meals, you might be drawn to sugary treats to curb your hunger. Instead, you should eat smaller portions several times a day, like after three hours.
Eating after a few hours will help regulate your blood sugar levels, thereby curbing your sugar cravings. For best results, eat fiber-rich foods like complex carbs.
Get Enough Sleep
Your unhealthy sleep habits might be causing a spike in your sugar cravings. Numerous studies show that even a single night of poor sleep can affect the function of the brain section responsible for decision-making.
Lack of enough sleep also suppresses hormones, especially leptin, which promotes or suppresses food intake, and you might find the foods you’re craving to be sugary foods.
Therefore, try and get enough sleep, and if you can’t, find out why. If you can’t figure it out on your own, seek professional help from a health practitioner.
Skip Artificial Sweeteners
Studies have found that artificial sweeteners like aspartame and sucralose used in foods like energy drinks, soda, and some baked goods lower dopamine levels causing your body to crave sugar. Therefore, you should cut foods with artificial sweeteners from your diet.
Stay Hydrated
What Vitamin Deficiency Causes Sugar Cravings
Dehydration is one of the most common causes of sugar cravings. Therefore, you should hydrate either with clean water or a glass of fresh fruit juice.
Replace Refined Sugar with Natural Sugars
When you have a sugar craving, you should eat fruits as opposed to candy or ice cream. The natural sugars in most fruits will satisfy your sugar craving, and the fiber will regulate your blood glucose levels, curbing your sugar cravings.
The issue with refined sugar is that most of the time, it’s found in foods that don’t have fiber, like pastries. In addition, refined sugar is processed, so it’s unhealthy.
The Cold Turkey Approach
The cold turkey approach comprises cutting out all simple sugars from your duet. However, it isn’t easy, especially for the first 48 hours. This approach can help you cut simple sugars from your diet entirely or train your taste buds to be satisfied by less sugar.
Should You See a Health Practitioner for Sugar Cravings?
If you’re feeling dizzy without constantly taking sugary foods or have regular sugar cravings each minute, you could have an underlying issue. For instance, you could be hypoglycaemic if you have a chronic craving for sweets.
Even if it’s a vitamin deficiency, a health practitioner can identify the vitamin you’re lacking and how much you need and ensure your deficiency doesn’t lead to further issues down the line.
For instance, vitamin D deficiency has been linked to a craving for opioids which increases the risk of addiction or dependence, as per a study by the Massachusetts General Hospital.
In conclusion, sugar cravings can result from various factors, from vitamin deficiency to a concerning drop in blood glucose. Follow the tips listed above to help you curb sugar cravings, and if the problem persists, seek medical advice.
See Also
How to Stop Sugar Cravings Instantly?
Can anxiety raise blood sugar in non-diabetics?
