If you feel like you’re constantly battling sugar cravings, you’re not alone. Sugar cravings can pop up for a variety of reasons, and understanding the root cause can help you manage them more effectively. As a sugar-conscious dietitian, I often get asked about supplements to stop sugar cravings, and while there’s no magic fix, incorporating the right supplements may make a difference. I’ll share my recs for the supplements to curb sugar cravings below, but first, let’s dive into why you might be craving sugar in the first place.
8 Reasons You Have Sugar Cravings and What to Do About Them
There are many reasons you may have sugar cravings. Here are some of the most common reasons and how to address them so you feel more in control.
1. Sugar “addiction”
Sugar addiction can be a significant reason behind frequent sugar cravings. When you consume sugar regularly, it triggers the release of dopamine, the “feel-good” hormone, in your brain. Over time, your body craves the same rush, but you need more sugar to get the same “high.”
I put the word “addiction” in quotes because it’s a strong word. However, sugar acts on the same pathways as addictive substances like nicotine, and we’re hard-wired to seek it out for pleasure. To stop this cycle of cravings, it’s helpful to identify some top ways sugar is slipping into your diet and take steps to cut down on the amount of added sugars you’re consuming, whether that’s from too many sweets, sugary drinks, or hidden sugars. (You can learn more about leading sources of added sugar in my blog about how to detox from sugar.)
2. Poor Sleep
If you feel powerless around sugary foods, it may be a sign you’re not sleeping well. Lack of sleep can throw your hunger hormones out of balance, leading to an increase in cravings for sugary foods. For example, one study found that after being deprived of sleep, participants had higher cravings for high-fat sweets (think: ice cream, cakes, cookies, etc.)
Prioritizing good sleep habits can help you get more sleep and then be more intentional about your food choices. You can try going to bed and waking up at the same time each day, deep breathing or a sleep meditation before bed, and journaling or jotting down your worry list at bedtime.
3. Uncontrolled Stress
Stress can significantly contribute to sugar cravings due to the way it impacts your body’s hormones and energy needs. When you’re stressed, your body releases cortisol, a hormone that triggers a heightened sense of hunger, particularly for sugary and high-fat foods.
Additionally, stress can lead to increased insulin levels, which may cause your blood sugar to drop and further intensify cravings for sugary foods as a quick source of energy. Of course, when you’re stressed, you may also be losing sleep, adding to this vicious cycle.
Meanwhile, one interesting finding is that the sugary foods you crave when stressed may lower your body’s stress response. However, this isn’t a good reason to eat sugary foods. I’d rather see you detox from sugar and potentially take supplements to stop sugar cravings, in addition to finding healthy ways to cope with stress. Exercise and deep breathing are two of my favorite stress busters!
4. Eating Too Lightly
I see this a lot in my private practice, and I’ve experienced it myself: Sometimes, sugar cravings are a sign you need more fuel. If you’re not eating enough or not eating the right balance of nutrients, you might start craving sweets for some instant energy.
Make sure you’re eating balanced meals with enough protein, healthy fats, and fiber-rich plant foods. A balanced eating pattern can help manage hunger, which may in turn help you curb sugar cravings. Here’s some info on a balanced, plant-forward diet.
5. Unhelpful Habits
Do you have something sweet every night after dinner? This is a matter of habit. If you’ve developed a routine of reaching for something sweet in connection with a certain event (after dinner, 3 PM snack o’clock), you’ve created an unhelpful habit.
Breaking these habits can be challenging, but creating new, healthier routines can help curb sugar cravings in the long run. One helpful tip is to put a new habit in the same place, so if you routinely reach for a sweet after dinner, the new habit could be to brush your teeth or go for a five-minute walk after dinner.
6. Hormones Related to Menopause and Periods
Hormonal shifts can play a huge role in sugar cravings. Sugar cravings before your period are quite common. Also, many ladies find they have menopause sugar cravings, which was evidenced in one study that found that post-menopausal women ate more sweets.
Sugar cravings before your period seem to be due to differences in blood sugar control during this time, which may cause low energy, leading you to look for quick energy in the form of sugar. The menopause and sugar cravings situation may be due to changes in your gut microbiome, and while we need more evidence to say for sure, I’ve recommended probiotics below as one of the supplements to stop sugar cravings.
7. Emotional Eating
We all turn to food for comfort at times, and this isn’t necessarily unhealthy on its own. There are always going to be occasions–whether celebrating a birthday or because we’re feeling stressed after a long day–when we’ll use food for comfort. While this can be ok at times, we need other coping mechanisms to help us out.
Learning how to eat more mindfully is one of the best ways to approach emotional eating and overeating. You can start by tuning into your hunger before, during, and after meals, using a plate each time you eat, and making some mental notes about what your food tastes like. For instance, is it cold, hot, creamy, crunchy, earthy, or sweet? Or a mix of several things? Use whatever adjectives jump out at you when eating.
8. Over-Restricting Carbs and/or Sweets
This is another culprit for sugar cravings that comes up in my private practice. Carbs are your body’s preferred source of fuel, and let’s face it–they also give us a level of emotional satisfaction at meals. But it’s common to drastically cut down on them when trying to lose weight, and this may backfire and manifest in the form of sugar cravings. One study confirmed that low-carb dieters experience an increase in food cravings.
Generally, restrictive eaters have more cravings because when you’re telling yourself, “I can’t eat pasta,” or “I can’t have chocolate,” your brain comes up with these types of messages: “EAT PASTA!” and “HAVE CHOCOLATE!” See what happened there? Your brain dropped the “I can’t” portion of the sentence, focusing instead on the food you’re trying to restrict.
I have two things to say here. Including whole, unrefined carbs in your diet can help you stay balanced, nourished, and fueled, leading to more satisfaction and potentially, fewer cravings. Additionally, you’re much better off learning how to live with sweets and other foods you love than trying to live without them.
5 Supplements to Stop Sugar Cravings
Now that we’ve covered why you might be craving sugar let’s discuss five supplements that can help curb sugar cravings and support your overall health.
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1. Clean Protein Powder
Getting enough protein in your diet is key to managing hunger, which helps curb sugar cravings. Granted, you can get all the protein you need without protein powder, however, a clean protein powder without artificial sweeteners and other unwanted additions can be helpful if you struggle to get the protein you need–especially at certain meals, such as breakfast, when carb-rich foods like cereal, toast, and oatmeal are traditional.
In fact, one study found that packing protein in your morning meal can help you cut down on sugary cravings later in the day. A clean protein powder provides the protein your body needs without excessive added sugars and artificial ingredients found in many conventional protein powders. Take a look at my list of 11 clean protein powders without artificial sweeteners, stevia, or unwanted additives for my top recs!
2. Magnesium
Magnesium is one of my top-recommended supplements because it’s involved in lowering your stress response, prepping your body for sleep, and regulating blood sugar levels, all of which may help with sugar cravings.
While magnesium is found in many common foods, like leafy greens and whole grains, many people have inadequate magnesium intake, so adding a high-quality magnesium supplement can be a good idea. Now Foods Magnesium Glycinate is an affordable option with a form of magnesium that’s gentle on your GI system.
3. Probiotics
Your gut microbiome–the trillions of bacteria that reside in your gut–play a role in regulating everything from your mood to blood sugar to nutrient absorption to inflammation. Research suggests there’s an association between certain mood disorders, such as depression, and sweet cravings. Additionally, when your blood sugar is on a rollercoaster ride, you may be subject to cravings because your body may be looking for a quick energy boost. On top of all of this, the harmful bacteria in your gut thrive off of a sugary diet, so all that sugar you’re eating is feeding the bad bacteria and promoting an unhealthy gut environment.
Because of the role of your gut health in these aspects of sugar cravings, a probiotic may be a helpful addition to your sugar-busting toolkit. In the land of probiotics, specific strains address specific problems, however, a general probiotic with multiple strains can be a suitable choice for gut health. Renew Life Ultima Flora Everyday Probiotic is one such option with 12 different strains to support digestive wellness.
4. B Vitamins
B vitamins are essential for producing energy on a cellular level, and if your intake is low, you may experience fatigue, poor mood, and sugar cravings that arise from these situations. Additional research suggests that B vitamins may also play a role in the risk of metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions that may include insulin resistance, making it more likely that you’ll crave sweets for fast energy.
Certainly, B vitamins are widely available in your diet, but many people may still benefit from a supplement. For instance, vegetarians and vegans are at risk of being low in vitamin B12. Taking a multivitamin is an easy way to ensure you’re getting all your B vitamins. I usually suggest age and gender-specific multis, such as Centrum One a Day for Women and Centrum One a Day for Adults over 50.
5. Fiber
For these reasons, fiber can play a role in curbing sugar cravings. In fact, one study showed that a fiber-rich diet (which was also high in protein and fat but, interestingly, low in carbs) promoted satiety and lessened cravings for sugar foods.
Fiber is a component of all plant foods, and you can certainly meet your fiber requirements of 25 to 38 grams per day without supplements. But, if you’re struggling to do this, a fiber supplement can be helpful.
A prebiotic fiber, such as Just Better soluble corn fiber, is associated with numerous sugar-busting benefits. It can improve the post-meal rise in blood sugar and feed the beneficial bacteria in the gut, so it can definitely be a worthwhile supplement to curb sugar cravings.
Are Supplements the Best Way to Detox from Sugar?
The recommended supplements to stop sugar cravings can be part of your sugar detox toolkit, but on their own, they aren’t the best way to detox from sugar. Sugar cravings are complex, so there’s no one solution or magic bullet to curbing your sugar cravings.
Instead of relying solely on supplements to stop sugar cravings, there are a few steps to take to support your goals. My blog post, how to detox from sugar, breaks down some easy ways to get started, such as identifying your personal sugar culprits and reading food labels to find products with less added sugar and no artificial sweeteners.
Key Points About Supplements to Stop Sugar Cravings
You can try supplements to stop sugar cravings, but they’re only one tool in your sugar-busting toolkit. Even if you add a supplement to your daily routine, you’ll get better results and more benefits when you also address the root causes of sugar cravings, such as inadequate sleep, eating too lightly, or being too restrictive with carbs.
It’s worth mentioning that you don’t have to avoid sugar completely. Take small steps toward reducing your added sugar intake will help you feel better, manage cravings, and improve your overall health over time.
Sugar cravings don’t have to control you. By addressing the root causes, incorporating key supplements, and making mindful choices, you can regain control and reduce your reliance on sugar for energy and comfort.
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