This Is Your Brain On Sugar

This Is Your Brain On Sugar


According to some health experts, eating too much sugar can be as bad for you as smoking or drinking a lot of alcohol. This video from TED Ed explains just what sugar does to your brain and body — and why it’s so addictive.

As the video points out, sugar activates our brain’s reward system (just like sex, alcohol and nicotine does), causing pleasure-inducing dopamine to be released. The problem is, eating too many sugar-rich foods (and sugar comes in so many different forms) causes the spike in dopamine to remain at a high level — and you’ll continue to crave more sugary foods.

Thankfully, the video concludes that a wedge of cake once in a while won’t hurt you. Learn healthier ways to consume sugar and how to avoid the energy crash sugar can cause.

How sugar affects the brain – Nicole Avena [TED Ed]


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