One bad habit I have is consuming excessive amounts of sugar in one sitting. If you buy me a box of cookies I’ll finish them within minutes, if there’s cake in the apartment its probably getting dusted in one day and let me not even get to brownies! If you were to inspect my apartment for processed sugar you would only find honey, and that’s not because I’m this extremely dedicated and disciplined person who doesn’t need sugar in their life but its actually the opposite, I have ZERO discipline or willpower when it comes to avoiding processed sugar so the best solution is to just not have it in the house.
Recently I have been doing some research on the effects of sugar on our bodies (both mentally and physically) and apart from it being a main contributor to weight gain, there are a lot more serious issues that come with eating too much sugar. It can cause type 2 diabetes, contribute to liver and kidney failure, damage your metabolism and slow down your cognitive functioning but the one that astonished me the most was how addictive it can be and how sugar affects your brain. Why is it so difficult to resist sugary foods? Before we answer that question, let’s breakdown what sugar really is.
Sugar is another word used to describe and classify carbohydrates and is found in many foods and drinks. Fructose, glucose, lactose, sucrose etc. are all forms of sugar which have varying sweetness characteristics. Most people think sugar is found in sweets and deserts but its also added in condiments, cereal, energy drinks, dried fruit and even protein bars. It’s pretty much everywhere so it’s important to understand how it affects your brain.
Imagine you take a bite of chocolate, the sweet taste activates receptors on your tongue which send signals up to your brain and activate the brain’s reward system (dopamine) which will make you feel good and want more so you’ll probably take another bite. Now that’s not a problem, our bodies have evolved without most sugars that you find today so having one or two is not such a big deal. However, when one starts to have excessive amounts, major problems start to occur. See, when you consumes sugar excessively, your dopamine goes into an overdrive leading to you constantly seeking more and more just to feel as good as you felt when you took that first taste. Just like a person who’s addicted to drugs or alcohol who consumes excessive amounts just to feel that ‘high’ that they once felt their first time, sugar can have the same effect even though it is not as potent.
When you consume too much too often, your dopamine levels will continue to rise which will feel more rewarding which explains why I can finish an entire cake and still want more! So, next time you buy cake, be aware that one bite will kickstart a rewarding feeling in your brain which will tempt you to have another bite. Its okay if this done every once in a while, but overconsumption can have addictive effects on the brain.
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