Sugar withdrawal occurs when one abruptly stops eating sugar or significantly reduces their sugar intake. Due to the effects of sugar on our brain chemistry and blood sugar levels, this sudden decrease in intake can lead to sugar withdrawal.
When you eat sugar, your brain releases the pleasure hormone dopamine (1). Similar to other addictive substances, over time your brain becomes accustomed to this rush of dopamine and starts to crave sugar to get the same “high” (2,3,4).
To make matters worse, eating a lot of sugar can cause your serotonin to crash, making your lows feel lower and the need for a dopamine rush even stronger (5,6). This is partially why sugar is so addictive and why it can do a real number on our brain chemistry when we try to kick the habit.
Additionally, because sugar is quickly digested and can enter the bloodstream almost immediately, high sugar diets are often linked to blood sugar spikes and crashes (7,8). Over time, you may find yourself increasing your sugar intake further to prevent the crash and maintain your energy levels.