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Serotonin

Do you frequently find yourself desiring sweets, particularly prior to your menstrual period or during times of stress? Serotonin significantly influences sugar cravings as it impacts mood, appetite, and gastrointestinal function.

Why Does Low Serotonin Trigger Sugar Cravings?

• Serotonin is responsible for regulating mood, appetite, and digestion.

• When serotonin levels are low, the body tends to crave sugar due to the following reasons:

• Sugar provides a temporary boost in serotonin, enhancing feelings of happiness.

• Sugar delivers a rapid dopamine surge, which heightens cravings.

• Low serotonin levels correlate with increased stress, anxiety, and depression, rendering sweets more appealing.

When Do Serotonin-Related Sugar Cravings Occur?

• Before Your Period (PMS & PMDD)

• Estrogen levels decline before your menstrual cycle, leading to a decrease in serotonin.

• Low serotonin levels result in heightened sugar cravings, mood fluctuations, and fatigue.

During Stress & Anxiety

• During Stress & Anxiety

• Emotional eating tends to occur when the brain seeks a swift serotonin boost from sugary treats.

If You Have PCOS & Insulin Resistance

• Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) frequently results in low serotonin levels and erratic blood sugar.

• Elevated insulin levels provoke cravings for sweet foods.

Poor Sleep & Fatigue

• Inadequate sleep diminishes serotonin levels and amplifies cravings for carbohydrates.

• Fatigue prompts individuals to reach for sugar as a quick source of energy.

After Consuming Refined Carbohydrates & Sugar

• Sugar causes a brief spike in serotonin, but this is followed by a crash, leading to further cravings.

• This pattern can result in binge eating and exacerbate cravings over time.

Noradrenaline

The connection between sugar cravings and noradrenaline (NE) is significant, influenced by brain reward systems, stress responses, and energy management. This article provides a comprehensive overview of how noradrenaline affects your sugar cravings—and how the two are interrelated.

Sugar Cravings & Noradrenaline: The Brain-Body Connection

Noradrenaline & The Reward System

• In the brain’s reward pathway, noradrenaline collaborates closely with dopamine, particularly in areas like the nucleus accumbens, amygdala, and prefrontal cortex.

• A decrease in noradrenaline can prompt the brain to seek immediate satisfaction to regain energy and concentration, resulting in cravings for sugar.

Low NE → Low mental energy → Desire for quick glucose → Consume sugar → Brief mood/focus enhancement

Stress, Cortisol, and Noradrenaline

• During stressful situations, the sympathetic nervous system releases both noradrenaline and cortisol.

• Initially, noradrenaline can suppress appetite, but with ongoing stress, cortisol:

• Increases cravings for quick-energy foods (particularly those high in sugar and fat)

• Encourages central fat accumulation

• Changes insulin sensitivity, causing fluctuations in blood sugar levels

Thus: Chronic stress = elevated cortisol + variable NE = strong sugar cravings

Energy, Focus & Brain Fog

• Noradrenaline enhances:

• Alertness

• Focus

• Mental endurance

When NE levels are low, you may experience:

• Mental exhaustion

• Distraction or mental fog

• Lack of motivation

• Mental endurance

The brain might instinctively yearn for sugar to achieve a rapid boost in dopamine/NE, enhancing focus and alertness.

Blood Sugar & Noradrenaline Cycle

• Consuming sugar causes a spike in blood glucose, which indirectly boosts noradrenaline release.

• However, this effect is temporary → sugar crash → subsequent drop in NE → increased cravings.

Diets high in sugar can lead to NE dysregulation → unstable mood + poor appetite management

Sugar cravings are not solely about flavor—they often represent hormonal signals from your body attempting to manage stress, fatigue, or emotional instability.

Adrenaline

Adrenaline is the hormone responsible for your body's fight-or-flight response. Under stress, it leads to a swift decrease in blood sugar by rapidly utilizing glucose. This results in a strong desire for sugary foods to replenish your energy—particularly during moments of panic, anxiety, or energy dips.

GABA (Gamma-aminobutyric acid)

GABA acts as a soothing neurotransmitter that aids in stress management and curbs overstimulation. When GABA levels are low, you might experience feelings of anxiety, restlessness, or emotional overwhelm. To calm yourself, your brain seeks sugar for a quick dopamine hit, perpetuating a cycle of emotional or stress-related eating.

DHEA (Dehydroepiandrosterone)

DHEA plays a crucial role in supporting mood, resilience, and energy levels. When its levels drop, your capacity to handle stress diminishes, making sugar an appealing quick-fix coping strategy. Low DHEA is also associated with decreased dopamine activity, which can heighten the allure of sugar as a form of reward.

Cortisol

Cortisol is the main stress hormone in the body, and prolonged high levels can trigger sugar cravings. Chronic elevation of cortisol boosts appetite and leads to a demand for quick, high-carb energy—especially noticeable in the late afternoon or evening. It also interferes with blood sugar regulation, resulting in increased hunger and snacking.

Glutamate

This neurotransmitter is linked to reward-seeking behavior and cravings.

Elevated glutamate activity (particularly in the hypothalamus and prefrontal cortex) has been associated with impulsive eating and a desire for sweets.

In individuals with insulin resistance or metabolic issues, glutamate signaling may become disrupted.

Blood Sugar Instability

If you're experiencing fluctuations in blood sugar:

High sugar → insulin spike → sugar crash → craving more sugar.

This cycle exacerbates cravings and can lead to insulin resistance over time.

Insulin Resistance & Leptin Resistance

• When cells fail to respond effectively to insulin, the brain does not receive the “I’m full” signal.

• This results in:

• Increased hunger

• More intense sugar cravings

Leptin, your “I’m full” hormone, may also stop working properly in this state. Gut Microbiome Imbalance (Dysbiosis)

Certain bacteria (like Candida or Firmicutes) feed on sugar and can manipulate cravings through gut-brain signalling.

Low levels of beneficial bacteria (like Bifidobacteria) can worsen cravings and make blood sugar harder to regulate. Emotional or Stress Eating

Cortisol (stress hormone) can trigger sugar cravings.

The brain associates’ sugar with comfort and temporary stress relief.

This is part neurological, part behavioural.