Eliminate Your Sugar Cravings with Nutritional Supplements

Believe it or not, you can control your sugar cravings with a simple regimen of easy-to-find supplements. 

We’ve all been there: 3 PM, sitting at your desk, your energy levels slipping, thinking about those cookies you have stashed in your drawer. Or maybe it’s late at night at home, and you’re watching TV in bed when you remember you have ice cream in the fridge and your mouth starts to water. Even something as simple as a craving for high-sugar fruits can leave you feeling like you need more sugar in your life. Well, it may be common, but that doesn’t mean it’s inevitable or healthy. Ever wonder how to stop sugar cravings?

Luckily for everyone, there are a few incredibly easy and straightforward ways to stop your sugar cravings. We’ll look at a few of them, but we are focusing on how to stop sugar cravings with nutritional supplements because it is one of the most reliable, painless ways to end processed sugar addiction.

Why do we have cravings?

According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, sugar is the ingredient that is most commonly added to foods. That means that there are a ton of products out there that don’t naturally contain sugar, but it’s still added. Many processed foods, like canned fruit, salad dressings, tomato sauces, and more contain larger-than-expected amounts of sugar. Even products like bread and peanut butter contain added sugars. Today, the average American consumes around 150 pounds of sugar per year. That’s right — most people aren’t even aware of the massive amount of sugar that finds its way into their staple foods. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, a healthy, balanced diet for the average American should contain 13.3 teaspoons of sugar per day. Can you guess how much sugar the average American actually eats? 42.5 teaspoons of sugar every day.

When you ingest so much more sugar than you thought, it’s no wonder that cravings come so easily. After all, we’re used to having a great deal of sugar in our diets, more than we realize. But that’s not the only reason sugar cravings flare and can prove so disastrous to a balanced diet. Believe it or not, stress is a major driving force behind sugar cravings. According to Harvard Health Publishing, stress can release hormones into your bloodstream that make people crave familiar comfort foods that are high in sugar and fat. Stress can also lead to overeating, raising the amount of sugar eaten in a single day. Physical and emotional stress release a type of chemical called cortisol, which makes you hunger for a sugar snack. Another chemical released by elevated stress levels is ghrelin, otherwise known as the “hunger hormone.”

So now that we know the where and the why of sugar cravings let’s take a look at some common ways to stop sugar cravings, including one of the best known ways to end sugar cravings – supplements. Nutritional supplements battle the cravings and keep you eating healthy every single day of the week. Fighting sugar cravings doesn’t have to be difficult, costly, or time-consuming. 

What are a few ways to stop sugar cravings?

• Eat healthily. Treat cravings like you’re hungry and eat something healthy. Sometimes cravings are just telling us we’re hungry. Give your body nutrients, and it will stop sending mixed messages. 
• Drink water. Try drinking a big glass of water. Sometimes our bodies are just plain thirsty, but our stomachs have a limited vocabulary, and our brains can only translate with so much accuracy. 
• Eat Fruit. Replace unhealthy, processed sugar with natural sugars by eating fruit. Sometimes, compromise is the best way to maintain your relationships, including your relationship with your body. 
• Go for a walk. Sometimes a brisk walk will release endorphins and turn off the craving. If you have a fur-baby, bring them with you and maybe even play ball or frisbee. Exercise, play, and fur-babies are all known for boosting endorphins. 
• Artificial sweeteners (not recommended). Skip those artificial sweeteners you’ve been using to replace sugar. Sometimes artificial sweeteners are counterproductive when it comes to diet, weight loss, and managing obesity. 
• Eat more protein. Protein is an essential dietary component. Sometimes protein will help you feel full, which can turn off cravings. There is also evidence that protein can successfully modulate appetite, particularly during weight loss programs, which is when many people can end up having the hardest time with cravings. 
• Avoid stress. Develop some stress coping skills, like meditation. Sometimes cravings are nothing more than a response to a trigger. Stress and lack of sleep are two of the strongest, most common triggers.
• Take supplements. Regularly take supplements, like digestive enzymes and probiotics, as well as multivitamins. Having a healthy gut microbiome and avoiding vitamin deficiencies are one of the best ways to avoid sugar cravings. When your gut biome is in balance, your body is in balance, eliminating the need to communicate cravings. 

What is one of the most effective ways to stop sugar cravings?

Supplements are arguably one of the best ways to eliminate cravings. If you’ve ever wondered how to supplement and why supplements have the power to reduce and eliminate those pesky cravings for sugar, you’re in luck.

Algae

Superfoods are a great way to deliver high-density nutrients to your body, which can help eliminate sugar cravings. Not only does algae have a lot of promise as a valuable resource for our bodies and the environment, but it can also significantly improve digestive health and deliver nutrients that help eliminate sugar cravings, among other benefits. The superstars of the superfood category are algae. When you choose a high-quality algae supplement, you deliver a potent mix of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytonutrients, omegas, and amino acids. This new delivery of nutrient-rich algae, such as spirulina and chlorella, offers renewal at the cellular level. When you have such a complete delivery of what your body may really be craving, sugar cravings can become a thing of the past.

Digestive Enzymes & Probiotics

Billions of helpful bacteria live inside your body. Many of these reside in your stomach and digestive tract, where they help to create enzymes, aid in the breakdown and digestion of food, among other essential tasks. When these bacteria are in perfect harmony, they work efficiently to help extract nutrients from food and deliver them throughout the body. But when gut bacteria fall out of sync or become imbalanced, your body has trouble breaking down the nutritional content of foods. 

Studies show that an improper balance of gut bacteria can actually cause severely heightened sugar cravings. When these bacteria become unbalanced, they actually compete with each other for resources. 

One of the tools they use is by triggering the body to crave certain foods that will either help themselves or hinder their “opponent” bacteria. Sounds like sci-fi, right? Well, a 2014 study found that this is the case. So what can you do to prevent this? By taking supplements with probiotics and digestive enzymes you can help regulate the types of gut bacteria found in your digestive tract so that they’re perfectly in sync, as well as absorb more nutrients.

Flaxseed Oil

Flaxseed oil, otherwise known as linseed oil, is an oil extracted from the dried seeds of the flax plant. Described as having a hearty taste, flaxseed oil has been considered a delicacy in Europe for years. But being tasty and delicious isn’t the only thing it has going for it. 

A study published in the Journal of Medical Sciences shows that flaxseed oil is a highly effective nutritional supplement that can help calm down sugar cravings whenever they appear. It’s also used as a powerful supplement to help control and regulate diabetes. The chemicals contained in flaxseed oil, omega-3 fatty acids, and omega-6 fatty acids, help lower inflammation within the body. There’s even evidence that shows that flaxseed oil can lower blood sugar levels.

L-glutamine

L-glutamine is a free amino acid that is commonly found in foods such as beans, kale, celery, cabbage, root vegetables, and wheat. A joint study conducted by the Cambridge Institute for Medical Research and the University of Copenhagen shows that L-glutamine is effective at cutting sugar cravings and the chemicals that cause them as soon they appear. It also helps to stabilize insulin levels in the bloodstream and helps to regulate blood sugar levels. What’s the downside? There’s generally not enough L-glutamine in a natural diet to help combat and stop those cravings for sugar that crop up during the day. Experts suggest taking an L-glutamine supplement to boost those levels in your blood. 

Magnesium

If you remember your high school biology class, you’ll know that magnesium is an essential mineral that’s necessary for the human body to function properly. In fact, magnesium is involved in over 300 biochemical reactions that occur in the body. One of these 300 biochemical reactions is the regulation of insulin and glucose. It’s also tied to dopamine, otherwise known as the pleasure chemical. 

What does this mean for someone experiencing intense cravings for sugar? Well, you might have a deficiency of magnesium. One of the most common symptoms of magnesium deficiency is strong sugar cravings. According to a 2016 study, those with lower-than-average levels of magnesium tended to eat more sugary foods than those with average or elevated magnesium levels. 

Zinc

Zinc is a mineral and antioxidant that is commonly used as a nutritional supplement to calm the stomach, fight against major depressive disorder, and also to regulate blood sugar in order to reduce cravings. It also can help balance your appetite to avoid overeating or cravings for unhealthy, fatty foods. Zinc has a documented neurobiological influence on overeating behaviors. A deficiency can heavily influence food intake, including unusual food cravings or aversions, and has even been linked to anorexia. 

Final Thoughts

There are volumes of advice out there about how to get rid of sugar cravings. Some suggestions are anecdotal. Other ideas are merely long-standing myths and folklore. One remedy that remains scientifically verifiable is the use of supplements to support a healthy digestive system, boost your nutrient intake, and stop sugar cravings. 

Even if you eat a well-balanced diet, for example, nutrient intake is reduced as you age and given certain environmental factors. Supplementing with probiotics and digestive enzymes are some of the best and only ways to ensure nutrient absorption. Without a healthy, efficient gut biome, you won’t be able to access all the vitamins and minerals that may be in your diet. You can also supplement your diet in specific areas to be sure you are getting the recommended daily intake to help prevent sugar cravings.