"When you hit yourself with 3 teaspoons of white sugar you're frying your brain."Â -Â Kevin O'Leary
The brain uses more energy than any other organ in the human body, and glucose is its primary fuel source. However, anything in excess can be a bad thing.
Some of the effects sugar have on the brain include impaired cognitive skills and decreased self-control. Sugar produces addiction-like effects in the brain by surging dopamine levels. This drives the loss of self-control and overeating.
In early humans, this stimulus helped lead us to calorie-rich foods that aided survival when food was scarce, but this primitive drive contributes to epidemics of obesity and diabetes. The behavioral and neurobiochemical characteristics of substance abuse and overeating are related, and the idea of food addiction is gaining traction among scientists.
Over time, more significant amounts of the substance are required in any addiction to reach the same reward level. Studies imply that overeating results in a diminished reward response and a progressively worsening addiction to low-nutrient foods rich in sugar, salt, and fat. This not only leads to obesity and diabetes, but high blood glucose levels can affect the brain’s functionality and cause the brain to shrink. It can lead to small-vessel disease, which restricts blood flow in the brain, causing cognitive difficulties and even spurring the development of vascular dementia.
One of the most significant negative effects of refined sugar on the brain is its impact on cognitive function. Consuming too much sugar can impair our ability to learn and remember information. Studies have found that high sugar intake is associated with a decline in cognitive function, including impaired memory and learning, decreased attention span, and slower information processing.
High sugar intake is also linked to an increased risk of dementia. Studies have shown that individuals with high sugar consumption are more likely to develop cognitive impairment and dementia later in life. This is because sugar consumption can lead to inflammation in the brain, which can contribute to the development of dementia.
At insight, we aim to improve diets by producing healthier alternatives with no refined sugars and functional ingredients that combat the listed side effects above.
In conclusion, refined sugar has numerous negative effects on our brain health. From impaired cognitive function and increased risk of depression and anxiety to sugar addiction and an increased risk of dementia, it's clear that sugar is not beneficial for our brain health. While it may be challenging to eliminate sugar from our diets completely, reducing our consumption of processed foods and drinks high in sugar can go a long way towards improving our brain health and overall well-being.