Is It Okay to Replace Alcohol with Sugar in Sobriety?

Of course, alcohol and sugar cravings can sometimes go hand in hand. If you find that it’s hard to control your drinking without resorting to sugar, there are new ways to limit drinking urges. As discussed above, sugar can be as addictive as alcohol for some people. Excessive consumption of fructose sweeteners, for example, can lead to fatty liver disease—just like alcohol. And restoring healthy digestion and blood sugar can make a big difference in long-term recovery. Long-term, alcohol abuse disrupts your body’s ability to regulate your blood sugar.

You can find it in a supplement, often with other trace minerals that also help. Herbs such as gymnema, berberine, kudzu, and cinnamon can help. Research has found that lack of sleep contributes to sugar cravings along with dozens of other side effects.

Erythritol

In fact, according to the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, sugar affects many of the same neural pathways in the brain as alcohol does. You expected discomfort and intense cravings when you quit alcohol, but not this. This type of craving is new, and you can’t get it out of your head. Almost like a shadow, it seems to follow you throughout your day. It would be easy to give in, but you’ve seen all the recent news about the negative effects it can have. As mentioned, addiction can cause a person’s body to confuse hunger for a substance craving.

Recent studies show that processed foods like sugar trigger the brain’s reward system in ways that are similar to alcohol and other addictive substances. In other words, it’s entirely possible for someone to become addicted to sugar. Additionally, some researchers believe there is a genetic component to sugar addiction in families with a history of substance abuse. Sugar alcohols are generally less sweet and contain fewer calories than sugars.

This Is Why Artificial Sweeteners Are Bad for You

Perhaps some have health conditions that are incompatible with alcohol. Or maybe they’re just concerned about all those calories—and carbs. If you’re https://ecosoberhouse.com/ in recovery, limiting your sugar intake is a smart move because there is a real possibility that sugar could become a substitute addiction.

• They are white, water-soluble solids that can occur naturally or be produced industrially by hydrogenating sugars.
• While your kidneys are busy processing alcohol, they can’t perform their normal job of excreting excess sugar through urination, which can cause blood glucose to climb higher than usual.
• After you quit drinking, your body knows that it can reach a similar state through sugar.

The pancreas is also damaged by excessive alcohol use, so people with Type II Diabetes are likely to experience increased problems with blood glucose regulation as a result. Talking to your doctor is the best way to ensure what amount of alcohol, if any, is safe for consumption while managing diabetes. A daily cocktail or two may improve blood sugar (blood glucose) management and insulin sensitivity. If you have one or more drinks a day, you may find that your A1C is lower than during times you weren’t drinking. But if you don’t drink regularly, this doesn’t mean you should start.

Sugar Addiction Is Not Safe

Having a treat from time to time while you are changing your relationship to alcohol can be helpful for some people. People with diabetes, however, may need to be extra mindful. Talking with a physician is the best way to understand how your blood sugar levels are being impacted, and to get support on your recovery journey. There have been many interesting findings about why sugar cravings are so common in early recovery. First, many people may consume sugar in order to get the same artificial dopamine boost they would get while drinking.

Additionally, they are often slightly less sweet, offering 25–100% of the sweetness of table sugar. Lactitol is the least sweet, and xylitol is just as sweet as sucrose (1, 3, 4). They’re found naturally in some fruits and vegetables, such as plums, strawberries, and avocado, and also made by processing regular sugars. However, they why do alcoholics crave sugar have a different chemical structure, and your body does not absorb them as efficiently. Alcohol can also affect diabetic nerve damage, eye disease, and high blood triglycerides. The alcohol industry has a different set of guidelines when it comes to labelling nutrition on the bottle or packaging compared to the food industry.