On dates of traditional celebrations, such as Halloween, which is usually accompanied by the well-known “I want candy for myself”, we want to alert you about the care we must take with excessive sugar consumption and its implications on the health of our brain.
The human brain is an organ that consumes and needs a large amount of energy for its functioning, and great part of it is extracted from glucose. However, when there is consumption excessive sugar, Brain abilities are greatly affectedso much so that excessive sugar consumption has been compared to drug consumption, given the reward mechanism that operates in our brain.
According to some studies, the sweet foods can produce addiction-like effects in the brain, as they lead to loss of control, overeating, associated diseases, among others.
Some negative effects of sugar on our brain
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The sugar activate a reward system in the brain that makes it release dopamine, a substance that stimulates us, that makes us feel good. Numerous investigations have shown that because of this reward, the brain seeks for said stimulus to be repeated repeatedly. increasingly frequent. But this frequent response can cause problems such as:
- Decreased self-control: As a result of the excess stimulus, we begin to be less able to stop consuming sugar.
- Memory impairment: Studies have shown that some functions of the brain, due to sugar saturation, are affected, including the hippocampus and the prefrontal area, which help information and memory retention functions.
- Eating disorder: high sugar consumption can also cause you to feel a increased feeling of hungerwhich can alter our eating habits and lead to overweight, not only due to the consumption of sugar but also All kind of aliment.
- Impact on moods: There are studies that show that the ability to assimilate emotions is highly affected, especially in the young population, by a high level of blood glucose. Also, the American Diabetes Association, in its publication Diabetes Carefinds that people during a stage of hyperglycemia present an increase in feelings of anxiety and sadness.
- Circulation effects: One of the main harms of excessive sugar consumption may have to do with vascular problemssince it affects blood vessels, as studies on diabetes have shown.
- Poor cognitive performance: Diets that include a high intake of sugar can reduce the neurotrophic factor of the brain, that is, can affect learning.
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