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Symptoms of Sucrose Sensitivity

Sucrose, or ordinary sugar, can have serious health effects. Certain types of inherited biochemistries make some people sensitive to sugar. This is a fairly common problem that can cause many health issues. In fact, millions of people have sugar sensitivities and do not know it. Those with such sensitivities should alter their diet to eliminate most of their sugar intake gradually.

  1. Lift and Crash

    • People with sugar sensitivities are thought to be "addicted" to sugar. This exists for a number of reasons. One of the most important is the high lift--or "high"-- someone gets after eating something sweet. This "high" is a plain sign of sugar sensitivity and is always followed by a crash. Someone who has not eaten the normal amount of sweets for a day shows symptoms of hypoglycemia, an abnormally low concentration of sugar in the blood. These symptoms include fatigue and depression. The result can be a roller coaster world where not eating sugars leads to depression and fatigue. Then, after eating, the person gets a short-term lift of energy and a sense of well being. Life becomes a difficult cycle.

    Depression

    • Sugar sensitivities often correlate with low levels of serotonin production. Serotonin is an extremely important brain chemical. It controls emotions, provides a sense of well-being and assists reasoning faculties. People with sugar sensitivities generally do not produce as much serotonin as people in balance. Therefore, sugar-sensitive people are more prone to depression, panic attacks and anxiety than the rest of the population. This low serotonin production also leads to problems like mood swings, insomnia and difficulty in concentrating.

    Pain

    • People with sugar sensitivities also have lower endorphin levels. This is connected to the lack of serotonin. Endorphins are chemicals that the brain emits when the body is under stress. It helps calm someone and provides a sense of well-being in times of pain. When endorphins are low, people feel pain more acutely; calming down under stressful situations is difficult. Low endorphin levels are a symptom of sucrose sensitivity, which leads to intense anxiety and the inability to get over pain. In other words, sugar-sensitive people feel pain more acutely than the rest of the population. Both the lack of endorphins and low serotonin production can lead to aggressive behavior, feelings of being overwhelmed and even headaches.

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