How does Sugar Addiction Affect the Brain?

How Does Sugar Affect the Brain?

Do you love dessert? Here is what happens to your brain when you take sugar. Sugar is a type of carbohydrate. It is found in various types of food that you consume daily. If you think sugar only comes from candies and desserts, you are wrong. It is also present in foods that are considered healthy, like tomato soup, yogurt, dried fruit, and granola bars.

What Happens When You Eat Sugar?

Sugar starts acting on your body the moment it hits your tongue. It activates the taste buds in your tongue that signal your brain, and it lights up various areas related to the reward system. These reward systems are a collection of dopamine receptors, your happy hormone. Dopamine is like currency in your reward system. When your reward system gets activated, you get a feeling of satisfaction, and your subconscious mind wants to have that feeling repeatedly. That is why you want to consume sugar again and again. It is similar to the feeling that you get while socializing, having sex, or even doing drugs, though the high that you get from drugs is way too high. While a balanced, healthy meal can release dopamine from your brain, repeated consumption of healthier foods dulls the effect of released dopamine. However, eating too much sugar continuously stimulates dopamine, acting like a drug and leading to addictive behaviors. Keep in mind while you can have a piece of cake occasionally, regular overeating of sugar can have an addictive effect on the brain.