Why do people crave sweet? (detailed)?

Question

i need a summary for my school why do people crave sweets

Answer 1

Most human desires either serve some evolutionary purpose, or else they are adaptations that have gone a bit haywire or fallen by the evolutionary wayside.

Cravings and the satisfaction thereof are strong incentives and rewards for behaviors that are very important for a hunter/gatherer primate such as the human being.

Before the advent of the modern availability of cane sugar and corn syrup, most "sweet" things came from fruits. Fruits are high in nutrients, are easy to forage for, and carry few of the risks associated with other food sources (injury from hunting meat, illness or death from poisoning by berries, vegetables, or stalks). Furthermore, the element of the fruit that is "sweet" is of course the sugar. The sugar in fruits does not provide a "sugar rush" but can be used both to provide a modest boost to energy throughout the day and can be stored as fat quite easily if no food is found for a long time after.

Therefore, our ancestors had a strong incentive to seek out fruits, and those who enjoyed the taste more, who felt cravings for it over other types of food, were more likely to survive and pass on their genes.

These days, we've made it so easy to acquire sweets that sweetness has become ubiquitous. We put sweeteners in almost all the food we eat, and strive mightily to create a sweet, sugary flavor that is -cannot- easily be turned into fat.

Since being overweight (perhaps due to consuming too much sugar) causes high incidence of heart disease, it is possible that we are evolving out of our desire for sweetness and many millenia from now people will be less inclining to, or even free of, any unhealthily excessive desire for sweets.

Hope that helps you!

Answer 2

There are many reasons you might crave different foods. Sometimes you crave a particular food for comfort or a means of escape. You also may use food as a way to get quick energy or have become addicted to a food for any number of reasons.

However, you may crave what your body most needs. Food cravings can be the body's way of trying to correct a chemical imbalance or point to a lack of vitamins or minerals. Craving some foods may indicate a weakness in certain glands, such as the pancreas, adrenals or thyroid.

Evolution predisposes the body to crave high fat, high sugar foods: When food was scarce, the body wanted food that was packed with calories or food that could be used quickly for energy. Pleasure chemicals, like dopamine, are released in your brain when you eat high fat, high sugar foods. This is why eating chocolate and ice cream actually "feels good." The body responds positively to this chemical release.

A craving for sweets may indicate a lack of minerals in the body.

People with an overgrowth of yeast in their intestines often crave sugar

Hidden ingredients may be the cause of your craving: Hidden ingredients may be the cause of your craving

One reason could be that eating sweets could be comforting or it could be a habit. Eating sugar can actually be a bit addictive.

Another reason you might be craving sugar could be due to lower serotonin levels. Serotonin is a brain chemical that makes you feel content and happy. Many antidepressant medications work by keeping serotonin levels high. Sugar may increase the absorption of an amino acid called tryptophan, which the body uses to make serotonin. This means that eating something sweet may make you feel happy and avoiding sweets may make you feel crabby.

One reason could be that eating sweets and dessert is a family tradition and having something sweet after dinner could be comforting or it could be a habit. Eating sugar can actually be a bit addictive.

Another reason you might be craving sugar could be due to lower serotonin levels. Serotonin is a brain chemical that makes you feel content and happy. Many antidepressant medications work by keeping serotonin levels high. Sugar may increase the absorption of an amino acid called tryptophan, which the body uses to make serotonin. This means that eating something sweet may make you feel happy and avoiding sweets may make you feel crabby.

One reason could be that eating sweets and dessert is a family tradition and having something sweet after dinner could be comforting or it could be a habit. Eating sugar can actually be a bit addictive.

Another reason you might be craving sugar could be due to lower serotonin levels. Serotonin is a brain chemical that makes you feel content and happy. Many antidepressant medications work by keeping serotonin levels high. Sugar may increase the absorption of an amino acid called tryptophan, which the body uses to make serotonin. This means that eating something sweet may make you feel happy and avoiding sweets may make you feel crabby.

Another reason why people crave sweets may be because sweets are highly palatable, very aromatic and flavorful.