Is sugar addictive? What are 4 criteria for labeling a substance "addictive"? How many addiction criteria does sugar fulfill? Endocrinologist and prominent nutrition expert Dr. Robert Lustig, MD, explains addiction to sugar. Is sugar addictive? Is sugar a medication? Sugar meets all criteria of addictive medication. Most effective sugar addiction detox is eating real food. The best sugar addiction treatment is switching diet to high fiber and low sugar products. Overcoming sugar addiction is possible. But it requires management of sugar addiction withdrawal symptoms first. Is sugar addictive for teenagers? Addiction is related to fluctuations in blood sugar level and to high insulin level. You can become addicted to sugar without knowing it. Bread, salad dressing, yogurts and many modern foods contain excess sugar. Is sugar addictive for younger children and toddlers? Dr. Robert Lustig, MD. We now consume 22 spoons of sugar per day. Video interview with leading expert in pediatric endocrinology and nutrition. Dr. Anton Titov, MD. Medical second opinion confirms that sugar addiction diagnosis is correct and complete. Dr. Anton Titov, MD. Medical second opinion also confirms that sugar addiction treatment is required. Dr. Anton Titov, MD. Medical second opinion helps to choose the best treatment for sugar addiction. Is sugar addictive for adults as much as it is for children? Get medical second opinion on sugar addiction and be confident that your treatment is the best. Overcoming sugar addiction. Dr. Robert Lustig, MD. Is sugar addictive? Neuroendocrinologist, UCSF. Author, "Fat Chance: The Bitter Truth About Sugar”. How to judge addiction. There are four criteria that have to be met in animals: craving, tolerance, withdrawal. The fourth criterion is knows as "cross sensitization with other drugs of abuse." That means that you addict an animal to one medication of abuse, for example, cocaine, for three weeks. Cocaine is also a white powder. Dr. Robert Lustig, MD. Of course. Virtually every white powder is addictive in some fashion. Absolutely. That is not by accident. Then you expose an animal to a second medication. They have never seen before. Animal is addicted to that medication too. That is known as addiction transfer. It is also called cross-sensitization. In animals sugar satisfies all four criteria of addiction. Does sugar satisfy addiction criteria in humans? In humans you have to show tolerance. Tolerance have been shown. You have to show psychological dependence. Psychological dependence on sugar has been shown in humans too. Sugar meets the criteria of addiction in humans also. There are some people who say this. "How can you be addicted to something that is required for survival? That is not addiction, that is survival." I would argue that sugar is not required for survival. There is no biochemical reaction in the body that requires dietary fructose. Fructose is the sweet molecule in sugar. In fact, it is a vestige of our plant cousins rather than something that is required by human body. If fructose is not required, then sugar meets all the criteria for addiction in humans. Nonetheless this continues to be an issue of contention in the scientific community. Is sugar addictive? Video interview with Dr. Robert Lustig. Sugar meets addiction criteria. All white powders are addictive medications: cocaine, sugar.