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Read Dr. Elena Krasnov's Weekly Column in the Health & Fitness section of the 24 Hours Magazine. Look for new articles every week!

Monday, December 07, 2009

Sugar Addiction to Blame for Anger Issues

Q: Dear Elena, my brother has a very bad temper. Certain days he is able to handle difficult things and other days the smallest things set him off. He is a sugar addict, but I'm not sure if this is adding to the problem?

A: Sounds like your brother may be suffering from anger management issues and in addition, also is hyperactive from the sugar effect sort of like a child having temper tantrums after eating too many candies.

To start with, your brother must be willing to analyze his behavior. A lot of people with anger issues don't recognize it as a problem. Acknowledging a problem is the first step in treating it.

Is your brother also having problems with drugs or alcohol use? Either one will cause personality changes however temporary they may be.

Alcohol craving often goes hand in hand with sugar craving. Sugar gets converted in the gut to alcohol by the yeast that we all have, so an alcoholic can crave sugar or alcohol, the end result is the same, alcohol in the body.

To determine if sugar is playing a role in your brother's bad temper the one simple and sure way to test is to have him cut out sugar all together for about 2-3 weeks. This may be difficult to do for an addict. He may even go through a withdrawal episode and suffer hypoglycemic episodes. He may need to cut out sugar slowly and allow the body to get used to reduced sugar concentration. Taking mineral and herb supplements to help with hypoglycemia and sugar cravings are very useful and simple. I routinely recommend supplementing chromium in any sugar related issues. Using herbs such as Bitter Melon is also a simple way to help someone battle sugar addiction. After some days of feeling terrible, your brother will see a major shift in his demeanor if sugar is the culprit.

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Dr. Elena Krasnov is a registered Naturopathic Doctor and Clinic Director of the Toronto Naturopathic Clinic. Submit your questions online at 24hrs.ca

Co-written by Miranda Tallon-Malisani Holistic Nutritionist