Deadly sweet

Chances are that, as a child, if you refrained from hacking at the nice dining room chairs with a pair of scissors, you would have been rewarded with a bag of sweets.

This 'treat' psychology continues into adult life so that chocolate, ice-cream, or any hit of sugary stuff is a metaphorical pat on the back or source of comfort. But new research suggests that sweets, far from being innocent, could be highly addictive and that we are in danger of becoming a nation of junkies, hooked on sugar.

Studies show that mega-dosing on fat and sugar causes brain changes by hijacking 'reward circuits' in the brain usually associated with addictive drugs. It's thought that when we gorge on sugar, the brain becomes dependent on the natural opioids released, triggering symptoms of withdrawal when the stimulation is removed.

Psychologist John Hoebel conducted research where rats fed on a high-sugar diet were thrown into a state of anxiety when the sugar was taken away, including chattering teeth and the shakes, much like those seen in nicotine or morphine withdrawal. 'Drugs give a bigger effect,' he says, 'but it's essentially the same process.'

Drew Fobbester, senior nutritionist at MyNutrition, believes cravings are entirely natural. Our early ancestors would have been drawn towards berries and other naturally occurring sugars because they are packed with nutrients. Today, however, chocolate and sweets contain all the energy but none of the nutrients needed to convert the calories into energy. According to Fobbester: 'Sugar is a drug that denies our bodies nutritional nourishment. All refined sugar is excess to requirements.'

So just why is sugar so bad? Refined sugar enters the bloodstream fast, provoking the pancreas to release insulin to bring blood-sugar levels down. This can bring the levels too low, causing an energy dive, that, conversely, makes you crave more sugar. Constant provocation of the pancreas to release insulin can leave you vulnerable to diabetes and obesity.

Online nutritionists at MyNutrition have devised tailored profiles that will provide you with a blood-sugar score. The 2001 UK-wide Metro/ MyNutrition survey revealed that 92 per cent of Metro readers showed signs of a blood-sugar imbalance; characterised by energy dips, irritability, migraines, tension and sugar cravings. But your score might be low, even if you aren't reaching for chocolate.

Fobbester says blood-sugar imbalance is particularly potent among city dwellers. 'Stress drives adrenalin, which causes a blood-sugar increase. With nowhere for it to go, it surges uselessly around your body until it's dumped as fat. Which is why stress is bad for weight loss.'

MyNutrition can recommend a bespoke programme of supplements that will stabilise the imbalance and offer dietary advice to curb the sugar craving.

Solutions for sugarholics are eating six small meals - which include whole grain foods to sustain energy - a day, and consoling yourself with other treats such as a massage or spa visit. It's a tough old world.

Log on to www.mynutrition.co.uk