It is well known that high levels of sugar in the diet are detrimental to health, but eliminating them can have unpleasant consequences for the body.
Sugar consumption in the United Kingdom has been steadily declining over the past decade. This is influenced by changing lifestyles or the popularity of low-carbohydrate diets. Reducing sugar intake has clear health benefits, but people sometimes report negative side effects when they choose to eat less sugar. Among the most common are headaches, fatigue or mood swings, which are usually temporary. The reason for these symptoms is poorly known. Scientists suspect that they are related to the brain's reaction to the effects of sweet foods and the biological 'reward' mechanism.
As mass production of food is the norm, sucrose and other sugars are now added to it to improve taste. However, it is important to remember that it is not just about taste. Sugar has a profound effect on our brain.
Sucrose activates sweet taste receptors in the mouth, which ultimately leads to the release of a chemical in the brain called dopamine. This, in turn, is a neurotransmitter, meaning that it transmits information between the cranial nerves in the brain. When we receive stimuli that are pleasant to us, the brain responds by releasing dopamine - which is why this process is often referred to as the 'reward' mechanism. And, as we know, the desire to achieve a reward governs our behaviour, meaning that we aim to repeat the behaviour that triggers the release of dopamine. Dopamine can drive us to seek food, including unhealthy food.
Experiments on animals and humans have shown how profoundly sugar activates these 'reward' mechanisms. Intense sweetness surpasses in this respect even ... the effects of cocaine. As studies in mice show, sugar is able to activate 'reward pathways' in the brain, regardless of whether it is tasted in the mouth or injected into the bloodstream. This means that its effects are independent of sweet taste.
In rats, there is strong evidence to suggest that sucrose consumption can actually alter the structures in the brain that dopamine activates, as well as altering emotional processing and modifying behaviour in both animals and humans.
In the early stages of sugar withdrawal, both psychological and physical symptoms have been reported - including depression, anxiety, brain fog and cravings, as well as headaches, fatigue and dizziness. This means that giving up sugar can be unpleasant, both mentally and physically, which can make it difficult for some to adhere to a dietary change. As well as engaging in reward, dopamine also regulates hormonal control, nausea and feelings of anxiety. As sugar is removed from the diet, there is a rapid reduction in the influence of dopamine in the brain causing many disruptions in our bodies.
Although the idea of sugar addiction is controversial to scientists, evidence in rats showed that, like other addictive substances, sugar can induce overeating, cravings and withdrawal anxiety. Other studies have confirmed that the effects of sugar addiction are similar to those of drugs.
However, most of the research carried out in this field is in animals, so it is currently difficult to say whether these findings can be fully applied to humans. On the other hand, the 'reward pathways' in the human brain have remained unchanged through evolution and this means that the biological effects of sugar withdrawal observed in animals are likely to occur to some extent in humans as well.
In turn situation in the United Statesaccording to the study SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth covering the period 2001-2017, indicates a doubling in the number of young people with diabetes. Researchers have shown that the proportion of people aged between 10 and 19 with type 2 diabetes has increased by 95 per cent over 16 years. The estimated percentage of young people under 20 with type 1 diabetes increased by 45 per cent. "The rise in preventable diabetes, especially type 2 diabetes, has the potential to create a cascade of health complications," said Dr Giuseppina Imperatore of the government agency Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Type 1 diabetes is more common among white youth. According to a study published in JAMA, a greater increase in type 2 diabetes was found among young African-Americans or Hispanics. Undoubtedly, the COVID-19 pandemic has hit people with diabetes particularly hard, including those who were not infected. According to Reuters, the number of deaths from diabetes rose by 17 per cent last year to more than 100,000.
Source: medexpress.co.uk