The brain
uses more energy than any other organ in the human body and glucose is its
source of fuel. But what happens when the brain is exposed to the excessive
amount of sugars in the standard American diet? In this case, more is
definitely not better.
In the
brain excess sugar impairs both our cognitive skills and our self-control
(having a little sugar stimulates a craving for more). Sugar has drug-like
effects in the reward center of the brain.
Scientists
have proposed that sweet foods—along with salty and fatty foods—can produce
addiction-like effects in the human brain, driving loss of self-control,
overeating and subsequent weight gain.
