What Sugar Does to Your Brain - Effect Of Sugar On Your Brain

A sugar by any other name (Glucose. Lactose. Maltose. Dextrose. Fructose)  is still the same sugar. In fact, there are more than fifty 50 different names for it. But the question is; is sugar good or bad for you?

We have 2 types of sugar; the "GOOD SUGAR" which occurs naturally in fruits and vegetables and also "BAD SUGAR" that’s added to sweeten candy, baked goods, sodas and so on.

The “GOOD” sugar is actually needed within the body particularly in the brain. After taking a meal, the food is broken down; specifically, glycogen, carbohydrates, fats, proteins and triglycerides which are broken down into glucose.

The glucose is so crucial to cell function that its deprivation can even lead to loss of consciousness and eventually cell death. Due to this, the body has a system in place to ensure that glucose is stored as a reserve.

All cells within our body need the energy to function properly; the large mass of neuron cells that make up the brain needs energy, mainly in the form of glucose to function.

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 Do you know that the human brain uses approximately 20 percent (20%) of an individual’s recommended daily energy intake?

Sugar is not only essential for your basic brain functions but it also tastes delicious too! The moment you eat something with sugar in it, your taste receptors are activated to send signals to your brain that sets off an entire cascade of stimulation within the body.

In simple terms, glucose is essential for proper cell function and survival. It arouses or induces the reward pathway in the brain which makes everything feel like unicorns and rainbows. Life is good except that too much of something is usually the opposite of it.

 

How many grams of sugar should you eat per day?

The "American Heart Association" suggests that it’s advisable for individuals to ingest a maximum daily intake of six (6) teaspoons of sugar for women and nine (9) teaspoons for men. On the average, people actually ingest 22 teaspoons (very bad) of added sugar daily which is on top of the naturally occurring sugar we usually get from our diet.

 

What Sugar Does to the human Brain

Taking a diet that has high sugar and saturated fats (also known as a high-energy diet) can have some fundamental changes within our brain which in conjunction with dopamine (the increased neurotransmitter release) can have detrimental effects on our well-being. Such effects include:

 

Addiction

Sugar addiction is very real. The pathway activated for addiction is the same as the reward pathway. Regular or persistent increases in the release of the neurotransmitter, dopamine automatically leads to desensitization which requires more consumption for the reward. It changes gene expression and creates a consumption reward pleasure. Dopamine release motivates cycle that is increasingly difficult to break.

READ MORE:SUGAR ADDICTION AND WHAT IT DOES TO YOU

Cognitive Deficits

Continuous diets with high sugar can lead to changes in gene expression. This affects everything from receptors to neurotransmitters not forgetting the basic function of the cell. In particular, studies suggest the BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) is impacted.

This is active in the cortex, hippocampus and forebrain which is vital to learning and memory, as well as supporting existing neurons while also promoting the formation of new synapses. This is reduced in high-sugar diets.

 

Depression & Anxiety

Attempts to break the addictive cycle can also lead to irritability and mood swings. By eliminating all additive sugars from your diet can lead to some of the same symptoms as drug withdrawal. Sugar withdrawal symptoms may include anxiety, cravings, headaches and even chills.

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Learning and Memory

Studies have shown that a diet high in sugar and saturated fats can promote oxidative stress, leading to cells damage. In the year 2010, an associate professor of biological science at the University of Perdue, Scott Kanoski, clearly demonstrated that a 3-day diet of increased sugar and saturated fats resulted in impaired learning and memory (hippocampal) function, causing the rats to have some difficulties finding food within a maze.

Other studies conducted in various places also illustrate that the hippocampus, in particular, is sensitive to a high-energy diet.

Therefore, it's not surprising that a correlation between "low brain-derived neurotrophic factor" levels and Alzheimer’s, dementia and depression has been discovered.

Now, new and continuing research in neuroscience continues to provide some valuable information on the effect that excessive sugar has on the brain.

 

Editor's Note: Now you know the effects of sugar on the brain but the question is: are you going to stop taking it? If your answer is yes, then congrats.

 

Kindly share and save your friends now!

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