What Supplements Help Control Sugar Cravings?

Sugar and carbohydrate are the biggest enemies of the health. If you want to lose weight, these are the two most important things that you would have to get rid of. However, this is not an easy job as getting rid of sugar and carbohydrate would mean, staying away from all the delicious foods that you love to eat and also staying away from your favourite drinks. In short, you will have to compromise with your taste buds and be accustomed to a lifestyle that does not indulge in any sort of sugary foods and drinks.

In the initial stages, you would certainly get sugar cravings that might draw you towards cheating your diet and eating a slice or two of your favourite sugary dessert. This is quite natural as the body is used to sugar from the very beginning of life, when a new born child is dependent only on breast milk, which is naturally sweet. Sugar and carbohydrates stimulate endorphin and serotonin secretion and helps the mind to relax. So, there is a feel-good factor associated with sugar and carbohydrates.

Despite this psychological and physiological connection, sugar cravings can well be managed in order to stay healthy and fit and avoid the consumption of the added 22 teaspoons of sugar that an average American is habituated with in a day. The average is not too less in the rest of the world. All you need to do is know about what supplements to take to help control sugar cravings.

Here is a list of the most common and yet useful supplements that can help control your sugar cravings.

Glutamine is a sort of amino acid and the amino acids play a very important role in the mood. Basically, the glutamine amino acid converts into neurotransmitter and this helps in suppressing sugar craving. The glutamine amino acid is something that the body can make all by itself. Also, it can obtain the amino acid from the foods that we eat, i.e. through diet.

When the body is under stress or there are some environmental factors as well as due to a poor diet, the body cannot make or doesn’t receive enough of glutamine amino acid. Research studies have shown that if there is a serious deficiency of amino acids leading to imbalance of neurotransmitters, the body cannot handle sugar cravings only by will power.

Therefore, short term supplementation with L-Glutamine amino acid by a dose of 500 mg per day will help the body to suppress sugar cravings within a month or two. Some doctors also suggest that if the craving is extreme, 100 mg of the L-Glutamine supplement every hour would be helpful.

In the last few decades, herbal supplements have been very much the topic of talk, especially for treating conditions like Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes. Gymnema Sylvestre is probably the most important herbal supplement for that matter.

A woody climbing plant that originally grows in the southern and central parts of India, especially in the tropical forests, the Gymnema Sylvestre has been used in treating diabetes for more than 2000 years. The plant belongs to the milkweed family and tastes sweet. It also has a cooling tendency. Therefore, it is used in treating a number of conditions such as hypoglycaemia, hypolipidaemia and atherosclerosis. Naturopathic physicians have shown through researches how Gymnema Sylvestre can suppress sugar cravings when it touches the tongue.

Research studies have shown a close link between magnesium and sugar cravings. A deficiency in magnesium levels in the body can lead to craving for sugar. Supplying the body with magnesium will lower the insulin resistance. Chocolate is a rich source of magnesium. That is why, when you crave for sugar, if you eat chocolates, your sugar craving is controlled as the body is supplied with enough magnesium. However, there are many other alternatives as well that are very useful in supplying magnesium to the body such as beans, nuts, seeds, leafy green vegetables etc. If the body is not getting enough of magnesium supply through diet, the doctor will recommend magnesium supplements.

While the body does not require too much of chromium, it can be said that those, who are experiencing sugar cravings, will be benefited if they are given Chromium Picolinate supplements. It slows down the release of sugar in the blood and suppresses sugar cravings. What is quite useful is that the Chromium Picolinate supplement normalizes appetite, while it improves the utilization of blood sugar.

Glycyrrhiza glabra, commonly known as licorice, is a great alternative to table sugar that many people do not know. Licorice is 50 to 100 times sweeter than sucrose, but does not have a negative impact in the blood sugar level. It is also anti-inflammatory and is an adrenal gland modulator. When your adrenal gland experiences fatigue due to excessive sugar consumption, licorice can reduce that fatigue. This is the reason why licorice has been used for medicinal purposes for centuries. However, if you have high blood sugar, it is better to avoid taking licorice supplements.

According to the research studies of the American Diabetic Association, cinnamon can reduce blood glucose levels and thereby, lower sugar cravings. The study shows how gut bacteria and yeast are some of the reasons for your sugar cravings and how the chemicals in cinnamon work as an anti-bacterial and anti-fungal.

Though this component is more known for increasing lifespan in laboratory mice, it is actually also very useful in improving insulin sensitivity. This means that resveratrol helps in uploading glucose into muscle tissues, so that it can store energy. If your insulin sensitivity is increased, you will crave less for sugar. 100mg of resveratrol supplement is useful for suppressing sugar craving.

Just like resveratrol, omega 3 fatty acid that can be obtained from fish oil, also helps in increasing insulin sensitivity and thereby, control sugar cravings.

Jambul or syzygium is a natural ingredient (an Ayurvedic herb) that can reduce sugar levels in blood and urine. It can also control sugar cravings. The fruit of this herb has a pungent taste, but it is used by many medical practitioners to treat a number of health problems including sugar cravings.

Though all these supplements are very useful in controlling sugar cravings, it is always very important to ask your doctor if these supplements are good for your health condition. The right dose of these supplements will also be determined by the doctor.

Also Read:

• Sugar Addiction: What Happens when a Person Consumes Excessive Sugar & Ways to Curb Sugar Cravings?
• Sugar Addiction Detox: 6 Ways to Detox from Sugar
• How to Reduce Sugar Intake for Weight Loss?
• What are Period Cravings & Why Do You Crave Sweets When On Your Period?
• Here is What to Eat When Craving Sweets