Modified post. Read the edit at the buttom.

Now, call me crazy, I don’t think so! I have been an addict and I know how it is to be an addict, but I don’t think sugar is as addictive as cocaine. And I really am frustrated with people who say such things.

This notion that it’s as addictive drives me crazy! I mean, imagine someone gullible who says, well, “I can control my addiction to ice cream, heck I can go without ice cream for months, if it’s as addictive as cocaine, why not give cocaine a chance? It’s not like it’s gonna destroy me or something?” Yeah, I have once been this gullible (when I was younger) and I hate this.

I do crave sugar and I do occasionally (once per week and sometimes twice a month) buy sugary treats/lays packet (5 Indian Rupees, smallest one) to quench that craving, but I refuse to believe that it is as addictive as cocaine or any other drugs. PS: My last lays packet was 45 ago and I am fine, and this is the most addictive substance I have consumed.

I am pretty some people here have been addicted to cocaine (truly no judgement, I hope you are sober now), so what say you?

PS: If you haven’t been addicted to anything drastic as drugs, you are still welcome to chip in.

edit: thank you all for adding greater context.

I realize now that when they talk about sugar, they are not just talking abt lays and ice creams, but sugar in general. I get the studies now. But media is doing a terrible job of reporting on studies.

Also, the media depiction of scientific studies is really the worst. I mean, they make claims which garbage and/or incomplete data or publish articles on studies which make more alarming claims. Also, maybe wait for a consensus before you publish anything, i.e., don’t publish anything which isn’t peer reviewed and replicated multiple times. Yes, your readers might miss out on the latest and greatest, but it isn’t really helpful if the latest and greatest studies in science aren’t peer reviewed and backed up well by data.

I feel like a headline “SUGAR IS AS ADDICTIVE AS COCAINE” can and will be life destroying if you don’t give enough information. I feel like there should be an ethical responsibility to not sensationalize studies, maybe instead of “SUGAR IS AS ADDICTIVE AS COCAINE” give a headline like “Sugar and Addiction, what science says.”

also, https://i.imgur.com/VrBgrjA.png ss of bing chat gpt answering the question.

some articles: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/aug/25/is-sugar-really-as-addictive-as-cocaine-scientists-row-over-effect-on-body-and-brain

https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/experts-is-sugar-addictive-drug

https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/cravings/202209/is-sugar-addictive

https://brainmd.com/blog/what-do-sugar-and-cocaine-have-in-common/

  • jet@hackertalks.comEnglish
    46·
    9 months ago

    https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10284150500485221

    Studies done on mice, and mice addiction to sugar, and mice addiction to other drugs. Are these studies directly applicable to humans? That’s a good debate, it’s hard to say. But the studies do show that mice have a stronger preference to sugar than to other drugs.

    I do keto, I go for the absolute absence of sugar, try to get less than 20 grams per day.

    The first two weeks is very difficult. Especially the first 3 to 4 days. We’re talking hallucinations almost, deep cravings, it’s very difficult to kick the habit. I can’t compare it to other addictions, but the effect is very real.

    • Tippon@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
      19·
      9 months ago

      In fairness, if I was locked in a box all day, I wouldn’t want to do coke either. Take the mice to a club and see if they stick to the sugar then ;)

      • LogarithmicCamel@lemm.ee
        4·
        9 months ago

        This is exactly the famous rat park experiment. Yes, the rats consumed vastly less cocaine when they were in a fun rat park compared to a box, where they became totally obsessed cocaine fiends.

        • Tippon@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
          3·
          9 months ago

          I wouldn’t do coke at Disney World with the family either. Get them away from the kids, turn the music up, and maybe throw in a few strobes. I bet you’ll see those little shits dancing then :D

    • Jamie@jamie.moe
      10·
      9 months ago

      I didn’t go full keto, but I did tighten up my sugar consumption once and tried to keep it as close to zero as possible for a couple of weeks.

      I can’t say I had hallucinations, but the cravings are seriously real. I didn’t even stop because of the cravings though, I stopped because sugar is so ubiquitous in everything that trying to find a drink to buy while working that didn’t contain sugar and I actually liked was difficult. I tried drinking tea with stevia as a main drink, but the taste of it never really acquired for me.

      • ryathal@sh.itjust.works
        21·
        9 months ago

        For drinks you are way better off getting used to water and sparkling water as primary drinks, use mio or crystal light if you really need flavor at first. Once you get used to water, it’s pretty easy to stick to just water.

      • IllNess@infosec.pubEnglish
        3·
        9 months ago

        I know caffeine and sugar affects people differently but caffeine was a lot easier to stop consuming than sugar for me. I was only drinking a cup of coffee a day, compared to having a really bad sweet tooth though.

        The sugar cravings were so bad it’s all I thought about for like 36 hours. After the 3rd or 4th day, the hump, everything became significantly easier.

        • quinnly@lemmy.ml
          3·
          9 months ago

          I was only drinking a cup of coffee a day

          Yaaaaaaawn. Let us know when you need an entire pot just to go to bed. No wonder you had such an easy time “quitting” lol