40 Years in Addiction Medicine: Why Sugar Is the Gateway Drug, How Cravings Rewire the Reward Center, and the Truth About Food Addiction with Bitten Jonsson | #1358 episode artwork

EPISODE · Aug 3, 2026 · 55 MIN

40 Years in Addiction Medicine: Why Sugar Is the Gateway Drug, How Cravings Rewire the Reward Center, and the Truth About Food Addiction with Bitten Jonsson | #1358

from The Ben Azadi Show · host Ben Azadi

Get Ben's new book Keto Flex here → https://bit.ly/4wKG1sM Grab Bitten's book Sugar Bomb in Your Brain here → https://amzn.to/4wrHXpD What if the reason you can't stop at one cookie has nothing to do with willpower, and everything to do with your brain chemistry? In this episode, Ben Azadi sits down with addiction specialist Bitten Jonsson, who has spent nearly 40 years treating sugar and carb addiction. She breaks down how sugar acts like a psychoactive drug that hijacks your reward center, why some people are wired to be far more susceptible than others, and how three forces inside the body quietly drive the cycle of craving, bingeing, and shame. This might be the most eye-opening conversation we've had on why "just eat less" almost never works. What we get into: Why sugar, flour, and starches all act as psychoactive substances, not just the white powder The three types of eaters, and how to tell an addict from a harmful user The three forces driving overeating: the reward center, the reptilian brain, and the pancreas Why sensitivity to sugar is actually a survival superpower, not a weakness How real addiction hides behind labels like anorexia and binge eating disorder Why keto and carnivore can heal the system when moderation keeps failing The role of purpose, energy, and gratitude (vitamin G) in lasting recovery One line to remember: You are not addicted to food. You are addicted to the psychoactive substances hiding inside so many foods. Learn more about Bitten's work at https://bittensaddiction.com Find All The Ben Azadi Show Sponsorship Deals → https://www.ketokamp.com/sponsorship-deals Ben's website → http://www.benazadi.com

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40 Years in Addiction Medicine: Why Sugar Is the Gateway Drug, How Cravings Rewire the Reward Center, and the Truth About Food Addiction with Bitten Jonsson | #1358

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