The last thing we want to do is add fuel to that fire with added sugars in the diet,” Basbaum adds. “Alzheimer’s, for example, is a neurodegenerative, inflammatory disease. A 2013 study linked high blood glucose levels to neurodegenerative conditions like dementia and Alzheimer’s. That inflammation can also have lasting effects on your brain. “When I see people with major depressive disorder, I check to see if their diets are high in sugar,” says Basbaum. These make you feel irritable, anxious or even depressed. Eating sugary foods can cause sudden spikes and drops in blood sugar levels. “If inflammation is the root of so many health issues, like arthritis, autoimmune diseases (like rheumatoid arthritis), heart disease and diabetes, then sugar, which we know is inflammatory, is only going to make things worse,” says Basbaum. Eating too much of these foods can lead to a state of constant low-level inflammation. However, some foods, like sugar, can also trigger inflammation in our bodies. Inflammation is part of our natural healing process. Inflammation (redness and swelling of our body tissue) is another concern, Basbaum says.
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You don’t want to get addicted to something that causes inflammation, weight gain and chronic disease.”Ī recent study, building on work done with animal experiments as well as public health research on obesity and food addiction, said that there is “ strong evidence of the existence of sugar addiction (PDF).” It found that sugar “addiction” shared five of the eleven criteria for substance abuse disorder seen in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5): “The feeling of reward is the same for sugar as it is for those addicted to drugs and alcohol. “The same brain structures and the same reward,” Basbaum says. Hmm… cravings, higher tolerance, a desire for more and more to get a good feeling? The effects of sugar on the brain sound a lot like addiction. That can lead to cravings, a higher tolerance for sugar and eating more to get that same dopamine effect. So, we keep wanting it and wanting more of it. When it comes to sugar, your brain has an especially strong dopamine response. Dopamine makes you feel good, which reinforces that what you just did (eat something) is good. Your gut and your brain work together, in turn, to release dopamine into your blood. Your tongue sends signals to your brain about what you’re tasting.
When you eat something, it triggers a number of actions inside of you. But what about our brains? What are the effects of sugar on the brain? Sugar Rush: The Effects of Sugar on the Brain Seems like we’ve got a pretty good idea of what happens to our bodies when we overindulge in sweets.
Despite knowing this, most of us struggle to resist that donut calling to us from the cupboard. Tooth decay, unwanted weight gain, heart disease, acne and diabetes have all been linked to eating too much sugar. “We have research that shows pretty conclusively that added sugars have a detrimental effect,” she adds.
The list is endless,” states Katherine Basbaum, MS, RD, a clinical dietitian with UVA Health. “We are seeing more and more negative consequences of excessive sugar intake. Unfortunately, we know eating too much sugar can lead to all sorts of problems, including dental issues.
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(There are other forms, like sucrose, which is regular granulated sugar.) So it’s no surprise that sugar is one of our most celebrated food ingredients, inspiring sculptures, songs and even TV competitions. We get that energy from glucose, a simple form of sugar. Our bodies need energy from food so we can live. Whereas, the World Health Organization recommends that only 5% of daily calories should be from added sugar. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), most Americans get about 13% of their daily calories from sugar added to processed food. She rarely has cravings for sweet food.īut she’s probably eating more sugar than she thinks, because sugar is actually one of the most common ingredients in processed foods. She’ll skip the ice cream for more hummus. Unlike me, my wife is more of a salty snack person. In fact, as I’m writing this very line, I’m reaching for a cookie. I raid my kid’s Halloween chocolate stash. What does sugar do to your body? We answer all your sugar questions in Bittersweet? Effects of Sugar.