What the body lacks if it constantly pulls for sweets

Oksana Laryushkina The habitual desire to eat a chocolate bar may signal that it is necessary to examine the body. Why there is an irresistible craving for sweets, explains Svetlana Pavlichenko, Candidate of Medical Sciences and Executive Director of the ANO National Research Center “Healthy Nutrition”.shutterstock.com

Reasons why you crave sweets

Two common reasons:1. Psychological. Sweet taste is associated with safety: there is not a single poisonous fruit or root in nature that tastes sweet. Therefore, in moments of stress or despondency, a person instinctively reaches for sweets. Also, sweets contribute to the production of dopamine, the joy hormone in the brain.2. Physiological.Lack of chromium This microelement increases the susceptibility of cellular receptors to insulin, helping the body absorb glucose. With a deficiency of chromium, glucose remains in the blood, and the cells of the body starve and send signals to the brain about the lack of energy, which it tries to fill with fast carbohydrates.shutterstock.comIrregular meals. In the absence of a regime and forgetting to eat on time, we often ignore the feeling of hunger until it becomes unbearable. In an emergency, the body requires sources of fast energy, and sugar is the easiest, quickly digestible product.

Why Test for Insulin Resistance

Sudden bouts of sugar cravings can be a symptom of insulin resistance. The hormone insulin acts like a key: it unlocks cell receptors, allowing glucose from the blood into cells and tissues, saturating them with energy. If the receptors lose sensitivity to insulin, glucose remains in the blood, and the body lacks energy and requires more sugar.shutterstock.com Insulin resistance is not yet diabetes, but it increases the risk of developing the disease. If you are concerned about the symptoms, you need to contact an endocrinologist who will prescribe the necessary tests. Usually, the doctor himself prescribes a test for the insulin resistance index: a comprehensive analysis of the level of glucose and insulin in the blood. They do it strictly on an empty stomach (usually in the morning), it is better not to smoke half an hour before donating blood. On the eve it is forbidden to drink alcohol and, if possible, stressful situations should be avoided and physical activity should be limited.

What to replace sweet

The “correct” sweets familiar to many do not meet the principles of proper nutrition, they include: 1. Artificial sweeteners and sweeteners are very sweet (some hundreds of times sweeter than sugar) and very low in calories. But they do not save from bouts of cravings for sweets. Feeling the sweetness, taste buds send a signal to the brain: get ready to receive sugar. In the pancreas, insulin synthesis begins, cell receptors open. When energy does not enter the bloodstream, the deceived organism sends a return signal in the form of a sharp feeling of hunger, and the desire to eat sweets only intensifies.2. Honey in terms of calories and content of fast carbohydrates is not a substitute, but an almost complete analogue of regular sugar. It contains some vitamins and antioxidants, but if you decide to introduce it into your diet, the recommended daily allowance is no more than two teaspoons, and you need to consume it not with sugar, but instead of it.3. Jams and sweet jams are another complete analogue of sugar in terms of composition and calorie content. According to the recipe, sugar makes up about half of any jam. We add sugar, which is naturally found in fruits and berries, and we get a very sweet product. At the same time, almost all vitamins and antioxidants are destroyed during heat treatment. Vitamin C dies at a temperature of 70 degrees, and the jam is brought almost to a boil several times.shutterstock.com4. Dried fruits contain not only sugar, but also fiber, some vitamins and antioxidants. They can be used as a snack to satisfy a sudden sugar craving, but with caution. The usefulness of dried fruits is highly dependent on the conditions of manufacture. Sometimes they are pre-soaked in sugar syrup or covered with icing – such dried fruits are no different from sweets in terms of sweetness. Vitamins and antioxidants are destroyed at high temperatures and under direct sunlight. The healthiest dried fruits are those dried naturally in the shade. Fresh fruits and berries are a great way to beat sugar cravings. They are rich in vitamins and antioxidants, and the fiber in the composition slows down the flow of sugar into the blood, avoids sudden spikes in glucose and maintains a feeling of fullness longer.shutterstock.comNatural sources of chromium compensate for the deficiency of this trace element, increasing the efficiency of glucose absorption. Chromium is rich in sea fish, chicken eggs, from vegetable products – broccoli, cornmeal, buckwheat. The advantage of plant sources is that they contain vitamin C, which increases the absorption of chromium by the human body. The daily intake of chromium is 40 micrograms.Healthy lifestyle channel with life hacks, diets, exercises in telegram! Subscribe