It is no secret that sugar is bad for our waistlines, but did you know it can have unsavory impacts on our brains as well?Sugar is everywhere now and we are all eating too much of it. Our food is processed and sugar is added to most ingredient lists. Sometimes the name is disguised. Fructose, glucose, corn syrup and dextrose are all sugar. In fact, there are 61 different names for sugar on food labels. No wonder we don’t realize how drastically our sugar intake has risen, and why so many of us are now hooked.
The brain uses more energy than any other organ in the human body and glucose is its source of fuel. But what happens when the brain is exposed to the excessive amount of sugars in the standard diet? In this case, more is definitely not better.In the brain, excess sugar impairs both our cognitive skills and our self-control (having a little sugar stimulates a craving for more). Sugar has drug-like effects in the reward center of the brain.
Impact of Sugar on Brain Health
Elevated blood glucose harms blood vessels. Blood vessel damage is the major cause of the vascular complications of diabetes, leading to other problems, such as damage to blood vessels in the brain and eyes causing retinopathy. Studies of long-term diabetics show progressive brain damage leading to deficits in learning, memory, motor speed, and other cognitive functions.
Frequent exposure to high glucose levels diminishes mental capacity, as higher HbA1c levels have been associated with a greater degree of brain shrinkage. Even in those without diabetes, higher sugar consumption is associated with lower scores on tests of cognitive function. These effects are thought to be due to a combination of hyperglycemia, hypertension, insulin resistance, and elevated cholesterol.
How to Avoid Sugar?
Any sugar added to our food is dangerous. We can avoid these dangers by satisfying our sweet tooth with fresh fruit in place of refined sugars.Other concentrated sweeteners, such as agave, honey, and maple syrup are equally dangerous. By eating fresh fruit we get the satisfying sweetness and the added bonus of the fruit’s fiber, antioxidants, and phytochemicals that curtail the surge of sugar in the bloodstream and block its negative effects.Of course, even with fruits watch out don’t eat too much.