Is sugar addictive? Integrating evidence across addiction frameworks

Background: Emerging evidence suggests that excessive sugar consumption may represent a potential addictive disorder for some individuals. Animal research has identified psychological and neurobiological correlates of high sugar intake in rodents, but there has been little psychological research evaluating evidence for putative ‘sugar addiction’ in humans against existing frameworks of addiction.Method: This narrative review draws on the Interaction of Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution theory and the components model of addiction to investigate evidence for the concept of sugar addiction. We evaluate the psychological and neurobiological effects associated with sugar consumption and consider their relevance to aspects of behavioral addictions and substance use disorder.Results: Excessive sugar intake is associated with behaviors resembling aspects of addiction, though evidence for mood altering properties and withdrawal effects is limited in people. The concept of sugar addiction is further explored through potential genetic predispositions, emotional dysregulation patterns, and relevant comorbidities.Conclusions: An important future direction will be focused study of persons endorsing a ‘sugar addiction’, given that most evidence to date has come from studies examining habitual consumption in the broader population. Taken together, this review integrates research from multiple disciplines to refine the understanding of sugar addiction and its broader implications for human health.