Some of the sugar we eat is naturally present in food, such as various fruits and dairy products, and many of them are artificially added, such as various sugary drinks, sweetened coffee, milk tea and so on. With regard to sugar intake and cardiovascular health, the American Heart Association also issued a scientific statement, suggesting that the daily intake of added sugar should not exceed 9 teaspoons (36 grams) for men and 6 teaspoons (25 grams) for women.
But for many people, it is not easy to resist the desire for high-sugar food. Can't resist the temptation of high-sugar food, sometimes it's not a lack of willpower, but some incredible factors are at work, causing your body's strong desire, making your desire for sugar exceed the actual need of your body.
When you consciously want to reduce the intake of added sugar, you may deliberately avoid obvious temptations, such as beverage vending machines in various places, cold drinks freezers in supermarkets, and pictures of sweets shared by friends.
However, some triggers for craving for sugar are more subtle, which have changed your physiological state before you realize it, making you want to tear open a big bag of chocolate beans to eat. If you find that your desire for sweets has soared, it may be caused by one of the following three dietary factors. Next, I will tell you how they stimulate your desire for sweets and how to control them.
1, excessive caffeine intake
The espresso you buy on your way to work every morning may contain more caffeine than you actually need. A recent study in the Journal of Food Science found that caffeine can change our taste buds and make us feel that food is not as sweet as it really is. Researchers say that when you can't taste the sweetness, you will want to eat more sugar to satisfy your natural craving for high-sugar food.
Vandana Sheth, a spokeswoman for the Nutrition and Dietetic Association (AND), suggested that this is a preliminary study, and more research is needed to support the research results and better understand how caffeine changes taste buds. But if you really want to eat sweets in the morning, you can try to change your morning coffee to decaffeinated coffee.
2, the influence of artificial sweeteners
0-calorie drinks and low-sugar desserts are not as ideal as advertised by manufacturers, and artificial sweeteners are often routine ingredients. Marisa Moore, a nutritionist and registered dietitian in Atlanta, said: "Because non-nutritive sweeteners (artificial sweeteners) are many times sweeter than sugar, they will gradually make your taste buds like the sweeter taste. This may make it difficult for fruits and other less sweet foods to satisfy your taste. " In other words, after eating foods containing artificial sweeteners regularly, taste buds adapt to sweeter sweetness, while conventional sugar will feel less sweet.
A review of artificial sweeteners published in the journal Neuroscience supports this view. The author of the review pointed out that "artificial sweeteners, because they are sweet, deepen the desire and dependence on sugar."
Nutritionists have also seen the effects of artificial sweeteners. Megan Roosevelt, a registered dietitian in Los Angeles, said, "I heard from customers in the past that when they reduced their intake of artificial sugar and had a more balanced diet, their tastes improved significantly."
3. Improper choice of carbohydrates
The glycemic index (GI) can measure the effect of certain foods on blood sugar level. Foods with a high glycemic index (GI) (such as refined rice flour, cakes, biscuits and cookies) will make your blood sugar soar to the peak after eating, and then quickly drop to the bottom, just like riding a roller coaster. Moore said that as your blood sugar drops, your body needs to seek a quick energy to remedy it (in order to make your blood sugar rise quickly), which makes you extremely eager for sweets, such as doughnuts and chocolate bars.
So how to choose food to keep blood sugar level stable? Abandon carbohydrates with high GI and choose carbohydrates with low GI, such as fruits, vegetables, quinoa, oats, brown rice and whole wheat bread. The sugar in these foods slowly decomposes, providing energy for the body to continue to be stable. Therefore, you won't have a sudden surge and rapid decline in blood sugar, and you won't have a strong desire for food after your blood sugar drops to a low point.
Libby Mills, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the American Nutrition and Dietetic Association, said that foods with low GI are often rich in dietary fiber, which can improve satiety and further maintain blood sugar stability.
Friends who love sweets may wish to recall whether they have the above situation. The desire for high-sugar food is only a sign, and its internal mechanism lies in its long-term diet choice. From the above three changes, it is easier to overcome the thirst for high-sugar food, maintain a healthy weight, and prevent and improve a series of chronic diseases related to obesity.