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Sweets lovers, beware. Sugar can wreak havoc in your brain.

According to a recent study, fruit flies fed a high-sugar diet had depleted levels of key brain metabolites. These findings indicate that the overconsumption of sugar can negatively impact the brain.

Sugar alters metabolites associated with brain health

When our bodies process food, it gets broken down into metabolites – small molecules that perform many key functions inside the body. Examples of these functions include providing fuel to your cells and activating or inhibiting the production of enzymes.

To examine how sugar affects metabolites in the brain and body, researchers from the University of Michigan compared a group of fasting fruit flies to a group of fed fruit flies. In the fed flies, the researchers skipped feeding them dinner then fed them sugar jelly for breakfast the next day.

To make sure the flies ate the jelly, the researchers put the flies on a lickometer coated with the jelly. The lickometer is as it sounds: a device that counts the number of times it has been licked.

The researchers froze both groups of flies to stop the metabolic process. They also separated the flies’ thoraxes, abdomens, legs and heads. The parts were sent to a company to measure the metabolites in the flies.

They used a tool called Flyscape to study the metabolites in fruit flies. They can simply input metabolites present in the flies and the tool will produce an image of the metabolic networks inside the flies.

When the researchers used Flyscape, they found that flies fed the sugar jelly had significantly lower levels of N-acetylaspartate (NAA) and kynurenine than the fasting flies.

NAA, one of the most abundant brain metabolites, is highly concentrated in the brain cells. On the other hand, kynurenine is a product of tryptophan metabolism. Your body uses the amino acid tryptophan to produce melatonin, which regulates your sleep-wake cycle, and serotonin, which regulates mood and appetite.

Scientists aren’t 100 percent sure about the role of NAA in the brain. But some studies indicate it provides fuel for brain cells. Meanwhile, low levels of kynurenine, which the body produces in high amounts during exercise, have been associated with depression.

Moreover, the researchers found that sugar consumption affected the levels of 20 more metabolites in the flies. Overall, the study shows that sugar drastically changed the metabolic profile of the flies’ brains. These changes could be fundamentally impacting the way brain cells work and things like sleep, learning and memory.

More reasons too much sugar is bad for you

The study adds to a growing body of research that shows the ways in which sugar can harm your health. Sugar isn’t inherently bad because your cells need it to function properly. But even sugar from healthy sources like fruits needs to be enjoyed in moderation. Otherwise, you risk developing many serious health problems.

Here are some more reasons why too much sugar is bad for your health:

• It can cause weight gain – Excess consumption of sugar, especially in sugary drinks like sodas, contributes to weight gain by tricking your body into turning off its appetite-control system.
• It can increase heart disease risk – Consuming too much sugar can lead to chronic inflammation and high blood pressure. Both are risk factors for heart disease.
• It can trigger acne breakouts – If you frequently get breakouts, you could be eating way too much sugar. Sugary foods cause spikes in blood sugar and insulin levels. In turn, these spikes lead to increased androgen secretion, oil production and inflammation, all of which play key roles in acne development.
• It can raise diabetes risk – Excess sugar’s impact on diabetes is well documented. Regularly eating sugary foods can cause insulin resistance, a hallmark of Type 2 diabetes. Insulin resistance is when cells no longer respond to insulin, the hormone that controls blood sugar levels.
• It can lead to cancer – Eating too much sugary foods can lead to obesity, insulin resistance and inflammation, all of which are risk factors for cancer.
• It can lead to depression – Sugar triggers the brain’s reward system, which is why most people have foods like chocolate and ice cream when they’re feeling stressed. But past studies have shown that a diet rich in added sugar can increase the risk of depression.
• It can accelerate the skin aging process – Sweets and sodas can lead to deeper wrinkles and saggy skin. Excess sugar increases the production of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which are believed to play a role in skin aging and wrinkle formation.
• It can drain your energy – Sugary foods cause your blood sugar levels to spike, giving you a burst of energy. Unlike the energy you get from grains and fruits, the energy you get from sugary foods doesn’t last long. You’ll end up feeling drained after a short while. Other side effects of a sugar crash include headaches, increased heart rate, confusion, blurred vision, hunger, dizziness and excess sweating.

Sugar can negatively impact both your mind and body when consumed in excess, as many studies have shown. If you wish to avoid the health problems associated with the overconsumption of sugar, ditch sweetened foods and eat naturally sweet foods like fruits as part of a balanced diet.

Sources:

ScienceDaily.com

Healthline.com

Greatist.com