It is not uncommon to struggle with a sweet tooth. But over time, some people simply stop craving sugar.
Recently, Indian cricket star Smriti Mandhana, in an interview with Jatin Sapru, admitted she no longer feels the urge for sugary treats the way she once did. She said that now if she eats sweets, it is “only for my mum’s happiness,” and not because she really wants them.
Why people stop craving sugar after a point
Kanikka Malhotra, a consultant dietician and diabetes educator, says that reduced sugar craving comes from actual changes in the brain chemistry. She told the Indian express, “When one’s sugar craving slowly dissipates, it represents neuroplasticity in the brain’s reward circuits. Over time, however, repeated sugar exposure desensitised dopamine receptors, resulting in less sugar feeling rewarding. As intake diminishes, these receptors resensitise, so the brain will no longer seek sugar for reward or stimulation.”
To put it simply, when a person abstains from sugar for an extended length of time, their brain readjusts. Sweet foods that once made one happy cease to be satisfying. The brain eventually loses its desire for sugar-derived foods.
How your gut helps you avoid those sugar cravings
At the same time, Malhotra notes, the gut microbiome starts to change. As one switches from sugary, processed foods to fibre-rich and complex carbohydrates, their gut bacteria begins to change. Over time, microbes that thrive on wholesome foods grow stronger, which leads to a natural decline in sugar cravings.
Do you actually need to go on an extreme diet to quit sugar?
What might have seemed like just a matter of willpower related to sugar craving actually is deeply biological and is related to brain chemistry and digestion.
But the switch doesn’t require extreme diets or deprivation. If meals gradually become more balanced, rich in protein, fibre, and healthy fats, the body starts to feel nourished, and the old sugar cravings often fade away on their own. Smriti Mandhana’s story is one of several that remind us that everybody reaches a threshold beyond which sugar is no longer that powerful.
