Lily Sethre-Brink
September 18, 2014
Research Paper
Mrs. Brenner’s class- per. 1
How does Sugar affect the Brain?
In today’s society, exposure to the world’s elements can be a perilous experience. Radiation exposure from the sun, inadequate vitamin intake, pollution, and a plethora of other chemical substances greet the human body regularly. There has been much scientific attention lately in the area of brainology focusing on the neuroplasticity of the brain. In the area of sugar intake, the data indicates that sugar negatively affects the brain in many ways.
The short term effects of sugar may not be as harmful as you think. When a sugary food or drink first enters the mouth, it hits the “sweet” receptors on the tongue. The taste receptors then send a signal up the brain stem, which then forks off into many directions, one of which is the cerebral cortex. From here the brain’s reward system is activated, which is complicated system of chemical and electrical pathways. The rewards system …show more content…
Not all of them can cause negative effects, in fact, some are needed for your brain to function properly. The 7 types of sugar are: glucose, dextrose, starch, sucrose, maltose, fructose, and lactose. The body need sugar (glucose) to function. The type of sugar that is causing the problems is called added sugar (especially fructose). Think about how they produce regular white sugar. Sugar Companies basically dispose of the nutrients from the sugar cane or sugar beet and then bleach the remnants. This is often the type of added sugar in one’s food, and it is not beneficial to one’s health. The type of sugar that is important for a hearty diet is called natural sugar. These sugars can be found in items like fruit or grain. A large amount of energy (blood sugar) comes from glucose. (Dr. Nicole Avena, TED, How Sugar Affects Your Brain, video) (Macrobiotics.co.uk, The Harmful Affects of Sugar on the Body, rense, funded by the Host
September 18, 2014
Research Paper
Mrs. Brenner’s class- per. 1
How does Sugar affect the Brain?
In today’s society, exposure to the world’s elements can be a perilous experience. Radiation exposure from the sun, inadequate vitamin intake, pollution, and a plethora of other chemical substances greet the human body regularly. There has been much scientific attention lately in the area of brainology focusing on the neuroplasticity of the brain. In the area of sugar intake, the data indicates that sugar negatively affects the brain in many ways.
The short term effects of sugar may not be as harmful as you think. When a sugary food or drink first enters the mouth, it hits the “sweet” receptors on the tongue. The taste receptors then send a signal up the brain stem, which then forks off into many directions, one of which is the cerebral cortex. From here the brain’s reward system is activated, which is complicated system of chemical and electrical pathways. The rewards system …show more content…
Not all of them can cause negative effects, in fact, some are needed for your brain to function properly. The 7 types of sugar are: glucose, dextrose, starch, sucrose, maltose, fructose, and lactose. The body need sugar (glucose) to function. The type of sugar that is causing the problems is called added sugar (especially fructose). Think about how they produce regular white sugar. Sugar Companies basically dispose of the nutrients from the sugar cane or sugar beet and then bleach the remnants. This is often the type of added sugar in one’s food, and it is not beneficial to one’s health. The type of sugar that is important for a hearty diet is called natural sugar. These sugars can be found in items like fruit or grain. A large amount of energy (blood sugar) comes from glucose. (Dr. Nicole Avena, TED, How Sugar Affects Your Brain, video) (Macrobiotics.co.uk, The Harmful Affects of Sugar on the Body, rense, funded by the Host