Effects of Sugar on the Brain: Cravings and Inflammation
Figure of man and bar of sweet chocolate. Nutrition brain energy for mind.
I’ve got a bit of a sweet tooth. I like my coffee light and sweet. I’m a fan of a good slice of cake. I raid my kid’s Halloween chocolate stash. In fact, as I’m writing this very line, I’m reaching for a cookie. Sometimes, I just crave the sweet stuff.
Unlike me, my wife is more of a salty snack person. She’ll take chips over cake any day. She’ll skip the ice cream for more hummus. She rarely has cravings for sweet food.
But she’s probably eating more sugar than she thinks, because sugar is actually one of the most common ingredients in processed foods. 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. Whereas, the World Health Organization recommends that only 5% of daily calories should be from added sugar.
Pour Some Sugar on Me
Our bodies need energy from food so we can live. We get that energy from glucose, a simple form of sugar. (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.
Unfortunately, we know eating too much sugar can lead to all sorts of problems, including dental issues. “We are seeing more and more negative consequences of excessive sugar intake. The list is endless,” states Katherine Basbaum, MS, RD, a clinical dietitian with UVA Health. “We have research that shows pretty conclusively that added sugars have a detrimental effect,” she adds.
Tooth decay, unwanted weight gain, heart disease, acne and diabetes have all been linked to eating too much sugar. Despite knowing this, most of us struggle to resist that donut calling to us from the cupboard.
Seems like we’ve got a pretty good idea of what happens to our bodies when we overindulge in sweets. But what about our brains?
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