Everyone loves to snack on something sweet once in a while and, in small quantities, sugar is nothing to be too concerned about. Other than affecting our waistlines and heart health, there’s now mounting evidence that high levels of sugar consumption can also have a negative effect on brain health. Top 4 things high sugar consumption has on your brain.
It Creates a Vicious Cycle of Intense Cravings
When consuming sugar, just like any food, it activates the tongue’s taste receptors. Then, signals are sent to the brain, lighting up reward pathways and causing a surge of feel-good hormones. When the reward system is activated too much and too frequently, we start to run into problems.
It Impairs Memory and Learning Skills
Researchers have found that a diet high in sugar hinders learning and memory by literally slowing down the brain. Over consumption of sugar damages synaptic activity in the brain, meaning that communication among brain cells is impaired.
It May Cause or Contribute to Depression and Anxiety
Sudden peaks and drops in blood sugar can cause you to experience symptoms like irritability, mood swings, brain fog and fatigue. When your blood sugar inevitably dips back down (this is the sugar crash you experience), you may find yourself feeling anxious, moody or depressed.
It’s a risk factor for age related cognitive decline and dementia
A growing body of research suggests that a sugar-heavy diet could increase risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease.
With more awareness about diet and health, our patients are not only making better choices today but also improving their quality of life long-term.
We are always looking for ways to learn, grow and contribute to our patients.
