Sugar & Health - Part 2

Have you ever wonder what cause us crave and get addicted to sugar? Sugar addiction begins when the cravings for anything that contains the sweet ingredients happened.

Other than the 60 ailments mentioned in previous month article, new research now suggests that excessive amount of sugar, especially the fructose in sugary drinks might damage your brain. And this indicates how important reading nutrition information as well as the ingredients contained in food product.

Sugar addiction begins when the cravings for anything that contains the sweet ingredients happened.

Eating sugar contained food leads the brain to release opiates that create sensations of pleasure, as a “reward” for performing functions essential for the survival of both the individual and the species, such as eating or reproducing. These hormones usually help in relieving pain and are triggered in the same way one who consume illegal drugs.

Therefore, sugar-rich diets generate heightened reward signals, just like drugs effect, so that the more sugar you have, the more you want. As the receptors in our tongue are being highly stimulated, it results in our brain that sending out excessive reward signals whenever we eat something with sugar contains, which usually ended up overriding our self-control mechanisms and then lead to addition.

This figure shows how the “Reward System” works in our brain.