Craving Control: Why Sugar Is So Tempting in Parkinson’s Disease

Craving Control: Why Sugar Is So Tempting in Parkinson’s Disease 

Written By: Renee Rouleau- M.S.
Neuroscience and Bridges for Parkinson’s medical contributor 

With Parkinson's Disease (PD), you may notice a strong craving for sweets—or even a full-blown sweet tooth. Perhaps you’ve loved sweets your whole life and now you feel like it’s blown out of proportion, or maybe you’ve never been a dessert person and now all you want is chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate!! (Wolz et al., 2009). . Many people with PD experience significant changes in their appetite and cravings, especially for sugary or processed foods. But why does this happen, and how does it affect brain and muscle health? 

Cravings in Parkinson’s are often linked to changes in brain chemistry. Parkinson’s affects dopamine, a brain chemical that controls movement, mood, and our brain's reward system. When dopamine levels drop, the brain may look for quick ways to feel better—such as eating sweets. Sugary foods can act to temporarily raise dopamine levels, giving the brain a jolt that says “give me more!” As a result, you feel good and want to do it again and again, causing a sugar craving. But as we know from previous articles, and from seeing kids after a “sugar high,” overdoing it on sugar can lead to energy crashes, weight gain, and even worsen, fatigue and over time, inflammation (Jamar et al., 2021; Ma et al., 2022).

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Yours, Coach B

Rock Steady Boxing Certified Coach
Certified Parkinson's Disease Fitness Specialist ISSA Certified Personal Trainer