Sugar addiction at the crossroads of reward, metabolism, and culture

The phenomenon of sugar addiction raises critical questions about dietary behaviors and their impact on health. Defined as a behavioral syndrome, sugar addiction manifests as cravings, control loss, increased intake, and continued consumption despite negative outcomes. While this syndrome lacks formal recognition in diagnostic criteria, accumulating evidence indicates that refined sugars, especially in sweetened beverages, trigger addictive-like behaviors in susceptible individuals. This behavior aligns closely with presentations such as binge eating disorder (BED).

A narrative review was conducted, utilizing databases such as PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science from June to September 2025. Researchers employed various sugar-related and mechanism-oriented terminology, including terms like sucrose, glucose-fructose, and high-fructose corn syrup. The review incorporated findings from preclinical studies, neuroimaging, clinical research, and policy discussions within a translational research framework.

One notable finding is that intermittent access to sugars can lead to behavioral patterns in rodents, including increased intake, withdrawal-like symptoms, and cue-driven seeking of sweet rewards. Moreover, the hedonic qualities of sweet substances can maintain this seeking behavior, even for non-nutritive sweeteners. This emphasizes the necessity to distinguish sensory-hedonic responses from nutrient-metabolic effects. Human studies further reveal increased cue reactivity to sweet and ultra-processed foods among individuals with disordered eating patterns. Additionally, dopamine D2/D3 receptor activity appears significantly correlated with severe obesity.

The authors introduce a context-dependent model labeled S.A.F.E., which posits that addiction-like traits are heightened when several factors converge: rapid reinforcement, ambiguous signals of satiety, engineered formulations that enhance appeal, and intermittent access to sugary foods.

The conclusion drawn advocates for a refined understanding of sugar addiction that concentrates on high-risk refined sugar products and the potential for cue-driven loss of control during eating episodes. By integrating personalized behavioral interventions with specific structural strategies such as taxation, reformulation of food products, and improved labeling, there is a greater likelihood of mitigating risks at both the individual and community levels. [NPID: Behavioural therapy; Compulsive eating; Dietary intervention, GLP-1 agonists, motivational interviewing, pharmacotherapy, public health policy, reward system, sugar addiction, sugar-sweetened beverages]

Year: 2026

Reference: Skryabin, V., Sanjari Mijan, M., Mehryar, N., Farzadkia, B., Mahmmod, M., Savari, S., & Dolatyar, M. A. (2026). Sugar addiction at the crossroads of reward, metabolism, and culture. Behavioural brain research, 506, 116147. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2026.116147

Related Studies

Low carbohydrate and psychoeducational programs show promise for the treatment of ultra-processed food addiction

Thousands of peer-reviewed papers have examined food addiction, particularly addiction to ultra-processed foods. Even though 20% of individuals fit the diagnostic criteria for this disorder, food addiction is not a recognized clinical diagnosis. Hence there are few tried-and-true treatment regimens and published result statistics. The concept of food addiction having therapeutic applications has increased the […]

Highly processed foods in binge-eating episodes: The importance of improving food reporting

The increasing consumption of highly processed foods, characterized by refined carbohydrates and added fats, raises questions about their potential role in binge eating behaviors. Over the last six decades, as these food types have become more prevalent in our diet, incidents of binge eating have also escalated. Previous studies have typically explored individual risk factors […]