How sugar changes your brain
- Dopamine release: When you eat sugar, it triggers the brain’s reward system. It releases dopamine, which is a neurotransmitter linked to pleasure and reward. This can create a temporary feeling of happiness or euphoria. It is similar to an experience with addictive substances, though on a smaller scale. This feeling encourages you to eat sugar again, creating a cycle of craving and consumption.
- Blood sugar fluctuations: After eating sugar, blood sugar levels rise quickly, providing an immediate energy boost, including a cortisol and insulin spike. This is followed by a sharp drop of blood sugar, leading to feelings of fatigue, irritability, or even anxiety. These fluctuations can affect mood, causing you to feel “crash” symptoms after the rush. Over time, frequent sugar consumption can make it harder for your brain to sustain energy levels. Blood sugar fluctuations also increase insulin, which is considered inflammatory at high levels and encourages fat storage. Inflammation is considered a risk factor in depression.
- Serotonin production: Sugar impacts serotonin, a neurotransmitter that regulates mood, appetite, and sleep. Giving temporary boost in serotonin, which can also disrupt long-term mood regulation. In the long run, high sugar intake is linked to an increased risk of depression and anxiety. As well as poor weight management.
- Cognitive function and decision-making: High sugar consumption can impair cognitive functions like memory, focus, and the ability to make decisions. Studies have shown that excessive sugar intake reduces brain plasticity. The brain’s ability to adapt and form new connections. This can negatively affect decision-making skills. Additionally, frequent sugar highs and crashes can make it harder to think clearly, impacting memory and making rational decisions.
- Addiction-like behavior: Because of its ability to stimulate dopamine, sugar can trigger other addictive behaviours. This can lead to over consumption of food, alcohol and drugs and may alter decision-making patterns. This may for some also create changes in food choices or consistently craving more sugar. Even when you really want to stop eating it. It is a negative loop, that brings us down and with temporary high.
Don’t get me started on how it impacts your gut, that’s another blog post.
Mineral supplements can often be supportive and often recommended along with some B vitamins to replace the depletions and allow the body to create energy at a cellular level in the mitochondria. This is where oxygen and nutrients make energy or ATP. Relying on sugar gives an artificial high, followed by a crash, de railing cortisol and insulin. Your body is constantly having to go through this stressful process to remove the sugar to keep you safe, and this results in the depletions and fat storage.
If you think you have blood sugar disregulation symptoms along with weight gain, poor energy, muscle weakness and poor immunity you could benefit from some personalised nutrition and support to get your body functioning optimally again, so you can live the life you deserve. There is so much information available on social media, its very overwhelming and often selling products with a quick fix. If you want to be well for the long term, book in your free discovery call here
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