Candy Cravings in Childhood May Signal Depression and Alcohol Addition

Some children naturally have a sweet tooth for candy. Researchers are now saying there is a link between candy cravings and depression and alcohol use later on.

Researchers studying sugar use in children say that eating candy activates the "reward" chemicals in a child's brain. These work in much the same way that alcohol affects and adults brain, especially those with alcohol addiction. Alcoholics tend to enjoy sweets far more than non-alcoholics. Julie Mennella, the lead author of the study, said, "certain groups of children may be especially attracted to the intense sweetness due to their underlying biology."

Scientists at the Monell Chemical Senses Center studied 300 children, half of which had family histories of alcoholism. The children were given sugary drinks and asked questions about their lives and feelings. One forth of the children showed signs of possible depression. The children who reported enjoying the sweet drinks the most were the ones with both a family history of alcohol addition and signs of depression.

The researchers also looked at how sugar boosts pain tolerance in children. The children who did not show signs of depression were able to handle cold temperatures longer when they were given sugar. The sweetness acted as a mood lifter and a pain number. The depressed children, however, had no boost in their pain threshold from sugar.

Experts are not clear if these findings show important aspects of brain chemistry, or if upbringing and behavior are the result. More studies to explore these possibilities are needed before a clear conclusion could be made.

Cardiff University's Professor Tim Jacob said, "While it is true that sweet things activate reward circuits in the brain, the problem is that sweets and sugar are addictive, because the activation of these reward circuits causes opioid release, and with time more is needed to achieve the same effect. But the taste difference may be explained by differences like parental control over sweet consumption."