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Originally posted April 2017 / Updated July 2023
Despite what you may have heard, overcoming food cravings has little to do with willpower.
Oxygen, food, and water are the three main things we need to stay alive. If we're deprived of any of them for a significant period (not very long, when it comes to oxygen), the body and brain have powerful mechanisms that move us to breathe, eat, or drink.
In the case of food, the brain is susceptible to sudden drops in blood sugar and releases a number of chemicals that drive us to crave sugars and sweets to raise blood sugar levels. Our intestinal tract and fat cells can also secrete hormones to urge us to eat.
People without weight concerns may have a fully functioning system of appetite control. This system comprises blood glucose, hormones, gut-derived small proteins (peptides), neurotransmitters (brain chemicals), and other compounds.
These compounds act on the appetite center in the brain to activate or block the feelings of hunger and satiety (the feeling of being full or satiated). People of average weight don't usually experience frequent cravings and may be more attuned to feelings of hunger. They are also inclined to feel satisfied eating portions that don't promote weight gain.
One key factor that disrupts appetite and portion control is abdominal fat accumulation. When abdominal fat cells are enlarged in overweight and obese individuals, it can disturb the complex system of appetite control becomes altered. The critical factor that leads to this disruption is insulin resistance.
Resistance to the hormone insulin sets the stage for intense food cravings. In more primitive times, insulin resistance filled the purpose of helping humans pack on the pounds when food was abundant so that they could survive during famine. We may not have that problem today, so our physiology can be stuck in the fat-storing mode with an overactive appetite.
If you want to lose weight and keep it off, it is important to reset your appetite control system and free yourself from excessive food cravings. Two powerful dietary approaches to this are stabilizing blood sugar and boosting serotonin levels in your brain.
The first step to eliminating food cravings is to treat the cause—in many cases, the issue is unstable blood sugar control due to insulin resistance. Using breakthrough technology involving 24-hour blood sugar monitoring, Michael Lyon, MD, and I discovered that maintaining blood sugar levels within a narrow range is the key to controlling an overactive appetite.
When people are on the "blood sugar roller coaster," controlling their appetite or portion sizes is challenging. Even if their blood levels may be high or normal, the brain goes into panic mode every time they experience a quick drop in blood sugar levels. It secretes potent appetite stimulators and hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline to boost blood sugar levels. It is a robust survival mechanism.
Much of the effect of blood sugar fluctuations on appetite control can be traced to specialized glial cells surrounding every brain cell. Glial cells are important in sensing the level of glucose in the blood. When blood sugar drops rapidly, glial cells send powerful signals to brain regions, such as the hypothalamus, which stimulate food cravings. Because of insulin resistance and the accompanying blood sugar rollercoaster, overweight people often experience near-constant eating commands.
So, how do you improve blood sugar control and insulin resistance? Here are seven keys:
This means avoiding overconsuming carbohydrates, especially those that quickly raise blood sugar, such as foods containing refined sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, white flour, and other sugary foods.
It has the most scientific support, including results from clinical trials in humans. Take 2.5–5 grams before meals.
Chromium is necessary for insulin to work properly at a dosage of 200–400 mcg per day. Chromium supplementation has been shown to help with appetite control.
The stress hormone cortisol promotes poor blood sugar control and promotes stress-induced food cravings.
Ensure you never really get hungry by consuming snacks between meals, such as low-calorie options like fresh vegetables and fruit or satiety-promoting foods like nuts and seeds and whey protein.
Engage in physical exercise for at least 30 minutes every day.
Plan your daily menu in advance.
PolyGlycopleX, or PGX® for short, is a unique dietary fiber matrix produced with konjac root fiber (glucomannan), xanthum gum, and alginate. Over the last 20 years, detailed human clinical studies published in major medical journals have shown PGX® to exert the following benefits:
Some of these benefits are due to PGX® naturally raising GLP-1 levels.12 GLP-1 is a hormone secreted in the small intestine and colon known as L-cells. The way that it is supposed to work is that in response to food components, L-cells will release GLP-1. This leads to improved insulin sensitivity, improved blood sugar control, and the promotion of satiety.
As PGX® travels through the small intestine and colon, it does two things to increase GLP-1: (1) it stimulates the release of GLP-1 in a pulse-like fashion from the L-cells, and (2) it increases the number of GLP-1-producing L-cells in the small intestine and colon. The repeated pulses of GLP-1 release produce satiety.
PGX is available in a variety of different forms, such as granules, capsules, and as an ingredient in powdered drink mixes for satiety or meal replacement. I prefer the granules and the meal replacement formulas. The key is to take 5 grams of PGX before meals three times per day.
Another nutritional strategy to help with food cravings is to boost serotonin levels in the brain. Low levels of serotonin can lead to food cravings, particularly for sweets. The manufacture of serotonin begins with the amino acid tryptophan. Insulin resistance or excess cortisol blocks the conversion of tryptophan to 5-Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP)—the intermediate step between tryptophan and serotonin.
Four human clinical trials have shown 5-HTP works very well in promoting satiety. These studies with 5-HTP were conducted in Italy. And even though the women were not making a conscious effort to eat fewer calories or lose weight, with 5-HTP supplementation, that is precisely what they experienced. Specifically, the results from the studies showed that with 5-HTP supplementation, the women consumed fewer calories from pasta and bread. With the reduced calorie intake, the average weight loss was between 1 and 1.5 pounds per week during the four to six weeks of the studies. The usual dosage for 5-HTP is 50–100 mg three times daily before meals.
References:
By Dr. Michael Murray, N.D. 
