Krispy Kreme Doughnuts & 3 Myths About Sugar That You Need To Know
By Katherine Metzelaar, MSN, RDN, CD
Krispy Kreme doughnuts offered a free doughnut to anyone who completed their COVID vaccine and with that the internet broke.
Fiery claims from health professionals and individuals alike came rushing forth immediately talking about hEalTH and wEiGht GaIN. Mixed in with very specific anti-fatness was confusing and age-old repeated messaging about sugar and the “harms” of it. So where did they miss the mark and why does this matter?
There are so many myths in this dieting culture about food, in particular sugar.
There have been whole public health campaigns that are geared at reducing the amount of sugar that the US population is consuming (with no significant impact btw). These campaigns have instead intentionally instilled fear in the minds of many parents and individuals alike by equating juice and candy to causing “long-term harm”.
This has led to a culture of fear around individual foods that takes the emphasis of the more significant things that impact health which are social determinants of health. Not only this, there is no mention of the significant impact that dieting, weight stigma, and weight cycling has on health and blood sugar.
So with all of that in mind, let’s bust some myths about sugar.
Myth #1: Sugar is Addictive.
This myth is one that you will see all over the internet with believers often citing 2 pieces of research: One that looked at the pleasure centers of the brain in humans when eating candy and one study that looked at rats with sugar water. High level summary:
The research looking at brains was showing the part of the brain that lights up when you experience a dopamine release, which is a hormone that’s connected to experience of pleasure. So unsurprisingly, when participants were fed something they took pleasure in, that part of their brain lit up. Nothing groundbreaking here despite this being the evidence that is cited to prove “addiction” because that same part of the brain lights up when you consume drugs, for example. What’s important too here in this study is that they were not accounting for restrictive eating patterns. This is important because when you restrict sugar, and then eat it, you will have a heightened dopamine release in your brain. This response goes away over time with adequate energy intake and habituation to foods.
The second research study that is often cited was a study with rodents. The mice were given two bottles of water, one with sugar and one without. The conclusion was that because the mice repeatedly pressed on the sugar water bottle, there is something about sugar that was/is “addictive.” But what is failed to be mentioned when this study was reported is that the mice that were fed the sugar water also had heavily restricted food intake. Meaning they went into the intervention very hungry. In this way, the study mimicked what happens when you restrict food.
Myth #2: Sugar is Unhealthy.
This myth really gets under my skin for many reasons. First, it presumes that health is predominantly determined by what you eat without consideration of the broader picture of health that is mostly guided by social determinants of health. Second, it does not take into consideration the impact of food restriction or lack of access to food on one’s sugar consumption. This is significant because food restriction or not having access to foods leads to things like bingeing, and feeling obsessed with foods and feeling out of control around food when you are eventually exposed to it. And guess what? This restriction (whether self-induced or because of lack of access to food) usually leads to an INCREASED consumption of sugar, not the opposite. Third, it presumes that there is a universal definition of health and that it’s straightforward (it’s not). What do you mean when you say it’s “not healthy?” Can you break that down a bit? How do you define health? Because there is no universally agreed upon definition of what “healthy” means, you can assume that most of the time diet culture is dictating what “healthy” means. Lastly, your body can handle sweet foods. Your body knows what it’s doing from a physiological perspective. Glucose and insulin are your friends. *
Myth #3: Early humans didn’t eat cookies, cakes and other processed sweet foods.
This one is not a myth, but one that is worth examining. Talk to any advocate for Paleo, keto or a low carb diet they will eventually throw this argument out there assuming that it’s really valid and straightforward, but it’s not. While yes, our early ancestors did not eat muffins, cookies and brownies, they also had a life expectancy of about 35 years old. They also had to use a lot of their time searching for food to eat and spent even more time processing it. It was a hard life.
And thank goodness for industrial processing because it takes away from all the steps that you would have had to take to acquire each ingredient and break it down for consumption (processing is also pre-digestion for the body).
Additionally, sweet foods are a part of life. They bring joy and pleasure to you. And, it’s stressful to consistently be feeling like what you eat is going to impact your health in a bad way. In fact, this stress is much more damaging to your health than any sweet will ever be.
So please, eat the Krispy Kreme doughnut. And while you are at it challenge anti-fatness, diet culture, and the voice inside that says that you cannot eat sweet foods.
*I am not a doctor and this is not medical advice. If you are under supervision from a doctor or dietitian, please refer to your team for recommendations and guidance.
You’ll also love…
Do you feel guilty for craving and/or eating sweets?
The experience of feeling like you can’t keep sugar-y foods in the house is very common. And, if you enjoy those foods, you deserve to make peace with sweets and all foods. At Bravespace Nutrition we work with clients virtually helping people who are struggling with food and body image. It’s possible to change your relationship with food and your body, free up headspace, and live your life with more presence, abundance and peace. Learn more about Bravespace Nutrition, our philosophy, and the services we offer.