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SUGAR AND LOVE -
Written by Cheryl Deroin, NMD
What drives one person to grab for a bowl of ice cream and another to crave
chocolate brownies? The first taste we experience if we have been breastfed is a sugar water called
colostrum. This is followed after 3 days by mother’s milk which also stimulates
the taste buds which are sensitive to sugar on the back of our tongues. How does
that taste of sugar relate to our feelings of love?
There are receptor sites on the roof of our mouth that pick up chemical messages
from food we ingest even at an early age and transmit that message to the
hypothalamus. The hypothalamus transmits all messages from the body to the
brain, be it food, thirst and/or emotions. The brain in turn remembers those
messages if it is repeated enough and a memory is formed. The chemicals from
food create a memory in the body and that associated with an emotion can make a
lasting circuitry in the brain that a person will return to in times of stress.
Casein is the main protein in milk, mother’s milk and cow’s milk. It can also be
something one can crave in the form of ice cream if one is looking for comfort
or nurturing. The smooth creamy texture of ice cream, yogurt and other dairy
treats may reactivate in the brain the feeling of comfort and nurturing and bond
we felt from our first experience with love or may be the feelings we would like
to regenerate.
Chocolate, in any form, releases certain chemicals into our brain which
stimulates the higher levels of the limbic system and gives us the same
sensation as we feel when we are in love. Chocolate contains methylxanthines,
which create that “love high”, but also the intake of chocolate stimulates the
neurotransmitters in the brain and digestive tract such as dopamine and
serotonin. Eating chocolate stimulates the dopamine receptors, which allows us
to feel motivated and passionate about life. We can do anything! The same
feeling we have when we are in love. Subsequently, the rise in dopamine also
stimulates serotonin, which gives a feeling of relaxation and a sense that all
is right in our world.
Appearance, smells and texture of food can also provide a stimulation which
under certain conditions or circumstances can set up a craving for a certain
food or sweet. Some individuals prefer the crunchiness of a cookie to the
creaminess of crème boulee. Again, would we want the sugar or dessert if our body
wasn’t already dealing with an internal memory or external stress which creates
the background for the craving?
Pure sugar in the form of candy
stimulates the opiate receptor sites in the brain causing our sympathetic
nervous system to be stimulated resulting in a rise in epinephrine and
catecholamines which subsequently causes endorphins to be released creating a
feeling of pleasure, joy, or that “ high” that can be achieved with intense
exercise. The only problem with the endorphin release is that we have the
tendency to want it to continue hence an addictive pattern can be set up and can
reinforce our craving for sugar.
No matter what form of sugar we desire the receptor sites in both the digestive
tract and the brain is triggered. The physical, mental and emotional is
inseparable. Just as our emotions can dictate our cravings, the food we ingest
can control how we respond mentally and emotionally. The more we understand the
connection, the greater the sense of our own well being. |
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| © Scottsdale Natural Medicine &
Healing Clinic, LLC latest revision 2.12.2005 |
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