Higher sugar diets during childhood increase the risk for obesity, cognitive impairments, and attention deficits as adults, a new study reports.
Consuming high levels of sugar-sweetened beverages early in life may lead to memory problems during adulthood. Researchers found, compared to rats who consumed only water, those who drank sugar-sweetened beverages had difficulties in memory recall associated with the hippocampus. The study also found a link between specific changes in gut bacteria in rats who drank sugary drinks and impaired brain function.
With the help of snails, researchers investigate the neural processes at work when we develop food aversions after eating a bad meal.
Cocaine and sucrose neuron ensembles in the nucleus accumbens are mostly non-overlapping.
Study reveals a high fructose diet could contribute to bipolar disorder, ADHD, and behavioral aggression.
FGF21, a hormone created in the liver in response to increased levels of sugar, acts in the brain to suppress sugar intake and controls the preference for sweet-tasting foods.
A mint product that contained gymnemic acids from the Gymnema sylvestre plant significantly reduced the intake of high-sugar sweet foods compared to a placebo. For those with a sweet tooth, the mint significantly decreased the pleasantness and desire for eating more sugar-rich foods. The product may be useful in helping people reduce sugar consumption.
Sweet tasting foods don't only trigger the taste buds, they also switch on a neurological pathway that begins in the gut. In the intestines, signals of sugar ingestion travel to the brain, sparking an appetite for more sweet foods. However, this pathway only responds to sugars, not artificial sweeteners.
Taste perception appears to be controlled by dopamine in fruit fly models. Tracing the neural pathway, researchers found the same pathways were associated with controlling learning and memory. The network also appears to enhance taste sensations. Researchers also discovered eating lots of sugar suppresses sweet taste perception.
After 12 days of sugar intake, researchers noted major changes in both the dopamine and opioid systems of pigs' brains. Alterations in the opioid system were seen following the very first intake of sugar.
If you are prone to depression, a new study suggests you should avoid indulging on dietary sugars. Added sugars have a pro-inflammatory effect on depressive disorders.
From reducing memory capability to increasing the risk of diabetes and obesity, researchers investigate how sugar affects the brain and body.
