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Hey there,
For a while, I thought my late-night sugar cravings were just bad habits—until I got back from the Amazon with mosquito bites, gut issues, and an appetite I couldn’t explain.
Jet lag? Maybe. Hormones? Possible. But the cravings kept getting louder, and every attempt at “just drink water” ended with me back at the pantry, searching for something sweet.
At first, I blamed myself. Then I started digging. It turns out certain gut parasites and yeasts can release metabolites that interact with the brain’s reward centers—essentially nudging you to crave the foods they need to survive.
Eventually, I confirmed what my gut had been trying to say all along.
The Science in 90 Seconds
Gut-Brain Hotline.
Your enteric nervous system (a.k.a. “the second brain”) exchanges chemical texts with your actual brain all day. Bugs can hijack that channel and amplify cravings for sugar, simple carbs, even alcohol.
Easy Energy, Rapid Reproduction.
Glucose is fast fuel. A sweet surge lets parasites replicate, excrete toxins, and inflame the gut lining—which sparks more cravings. It’s a classic feedback loop, just on a microbial scale.
Mood Meets Microbes.
Blood-sugar roller-coasters triggered by parasite-induced cravings can leave you foggy, anxious, or flat-out cranky.² If you feel irritable and snacky at the same time, you’re not imagining the link.
So What Can You Do?
Use the right hammer. Prescription antiparasitics or a practitioner-guided herbal protocol (oregano oil, black walnut, clove).
Feed yourself, not the freeloaders. Protein + fiber at every meal curbs glucose swings and starves sugar-loving squatters.
Bitters & berberine. Gentle blood-sugar support while your gut reboots.
Re-introduce mindfully. Once the bug noise subsides, “cravings” feel more like polite suggestions you can ignore.
Test, don’t guess. PCR-based stool panels (GI-MAP, Genova) catch parasites traditional microscopy often misses.
We talk a lot about intuition—listening to our bodies, trusting our gut. But sometimes, it’s not your voice you’re hearing. Sometimes, it’s something else entirely. This isn’t medical advice. We’re just sharing what we’ve learned from our own experience and research.
The good news? Once you know what you’re dealing with, you can take the wheel again.
P.S. Craving a quick, no-fluff brain snack? Check out 1440’s 5-minute daily digest serves up facts as clean as a protein shake (no sugar rush required):
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Until next week,
Gabi & Bea