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Many of us are aware that eating too many sugary foods is bad for our health. It increases blood sugar levels, promotes obesity, causes tooth decay and more. It’s pretty clear that we need to curb our sugar intake, yet many of us still fall victim to that eye-candy, glittery display at the bakery.
The problem, according to Australian neuroscientist Amy Reichelt of the University of Adelaide, is that excessive sugar intake can rewire the brain. It can modify neural circuits to magnify our liking for sweets and impair our ability to control impulses. Our sugar cravings, it would appear, may progress into full-blown sugar addiction in the same manner that repeated use of certain drugs can turn into drug addiction.
How sugar affects brain health
Our craving for sweets goes way back — when food was scarce and humans were scavengers. Due to the pressures of their environment, these ancient humans evolved through time, developing a particular liking for sweet foods since these were great sources of energy.
You see, our body runs on a type of sugar called glucose. When we eat sugar-rich foods, our brain’s reward system — a set of neural circuits called the mesolimbic dopamine system — gets activated. When this reward system fires, it encourages certain eating behaviors. In effect, our body becomes more attracted to sugar-rich foods.
But today, we no longer have to forage for sweet, energy-rich foods because they are now available everywhere. Unfortunately, our brain is still very similar to our ancestors’ sugar-loving brain, posing a problem when we consume too much sugar.
According to Reichelt, repeated activation of the reward system causes the brain to adapt to frequent stimulation, leading to tolerance.
“In the case of sweet foods, this means we need to eat more to get the same rewarding feeling — a classic feature of addiction,” said Reichelt.
But this is not the only change that happens in our brain. Studies have shown that eating high-sugar diets alter the inhibitory neurons. Found mainly in the prefrontal cortex — a key area of the brain involved in decision-making, impulse control and delaying gratification — these neurons are important for controlling behavior.
In a recent study, people were asked to rate how much they craved high-calorie snack foods when they were hungry and when they had recently eaten. Those on a high-fat, high-sugar diet rated their cravings higher even when they weren’t hungry.
“This suggests that regularly eating high-sugar foods could amplify cravings — creating a vicious circle of wanting more and more of these foods,” said Reichelt.
Sugar can also affect memory, Reichelt added. Excessive sugar intake reduces the number of new neurons and increases the amount of pro-inflammatory chemicals in the hippocampus, a region of the brain that plays a major role in memory. Studies also show that mice on high-sugar diets have a poorer ability to remember objects they have seen in specific locations before.
How to curb sugar cravings
Keep your brain healthy by cutting back on sugar. Check out the following tips to curb your sugar cravings:
- Avoid artificial sweeteners. Sugar substitutes like aspartame and sucralose are often hailed as healthier alternatives to table sugar. But don’t be fooled. Besides raising your blood sugar levels, these sweeteners can encourage eating behaviors that intensify your sugar cravings.
- Get enough sleep. Lack of sleep can increase your appetite. Make sure to sleep for seven to nine hours every night to rein in your appetite and keep yourself energized throughout the day.
- Eat nutritious foods. Fruits and veggies provide nutrients that your body needs. Magnesium, in particular, is important for curbing sugar cravings. Magnesium deficiency can affect your energy levels, making you crave more sweets.
- Taper your intake. Take it slow by gradually decreasing your sugar intake.
- Snack on healthy foods. Fruits and nuts are excellent foods to snack on because besides being healthy, they’re also delicious and sweet-tasting. As you taper your intake, you can opt for these healthy foods to satisfy your cravings every now and then.
- Consume healthy carbs. Avoid empty calories like cookies and granola bars. Instead, aim to eat whole foods like oatmeal, corn and sweet potatoes.
- Enlist support. Bring your family, friends and co-workers on board, especially if you need to make changes in your environment.
Eating a diet rich in sugar-rich foods can harm your brain and lead to sugar addiction. Manage your sugar intake now to keep your brain healthy.
Sources:
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