Sugarless

October 16, 2023
This illuminating program from neuroscientist Avena (Why Diets Fail) details sugar’s damaging effects on the body and offers guidance on reducing sugar intake. Avena contends that humans process sugar similarly to drugs and points to research that found regularly eating foods with lots of added sugar causes the brain to release the hormone dopamine, which rarely happens when eating food but occurs more frequently when using heroin or other drugs. Recognizing that “no one... can successfully navigate our food landscape and escape all added sugar,” Avena instead describes how to gradually reduce sugar consumption in seven steps, encouraging readers to “admit you’re addicted,” determine how much sugar is in one’s diet, and then replace sugary foods with healthier substitutes (the nutrients in berries, oats, and sweet potatoes, she notes, produce feelings of satiety that curb sugar cravings). Avena’s overview of added sugar’s prevalence surprises (hamburger buns and salad dressing are among the unexpected sources) and an appendix including recipes for granola, an “eggy roasted red pepper breakfast wrap,” and a pulled chicken burrito bowl will help readers cut back on the sweet stuff. The result is a sound appraisal of sugar’s harms and how to avoid them.