More Addictive Than Cocaine: The Shocking Research on Sugar Addiction
8-times more addictive than cocaine to be exact
Psychology Today defines a person with addiction as: “[someone who] uses a substance or engages in a behavior, for which the rewarding effects provide a compelling incentive to repeat the activity, despite detrimental consequences. Addiction may involve the use of substances such as alcohol, inhalants, opioids, cocaine, and nicotine, or behaviors such as gambling.”
The colloquial use of “addiction” tends to mean we’re obsessed with something, whether it be a new Netflix series or your favorite frozen yogurt joint.
To a scientist, however, addiction is placing a behavior in a whole new ballpark. It means that the person quite literally has no control over their behavior — the stimulus has affected their brain so drastically that the user has become dependent on it.
Now you might not suffer withdrawal symptoms from gambling or porn addiction, nevertheless, the damage is done, and sometimes it’s permanent.
The average American consumes 17 teaspoons (71.14 grams) every day.
Sugar, conversely, does have withdrawal symptoms if you quit cold turkey. But the $64,000 question remains; is…
