Sweets can change the Brain (article)
“The brain's response to high-fat and high-sugar foods was greatly increased in the group that ate the high-sugar and high-fat pudding after eight weeks. This particularly activated the dopaminergic system, the region in the brain responsible for motivation and reward. "Our measurements of brain activity showed that the brain rewires itself through the consumption of chips and co. It subconsciously learns to prefer rewarding food. Through these changes in the brain, we will unconsciously always prefer foods that contain a lot of fat and sugar," explains Marc Tittgemeyer, who led the study.
During the study period, the test persons did not gain more weight than the test persons in the control group and their blood values, such as blood sugar or cholesterol, did not change either. However, the researchers assume that the preference for sugary foods will continue after the end of the study. "New connections are made in the brain, and they don't dissolve so quickly. After all, the whole point of learning is that once you learn something, you don't forget it so quickly," explains Marc Tittgemeyer.”
My Takeaways:
Eating sweets can prime our brain to crave even more, creating a positive feedback cycle that can sometimes even subconsciously make us eat more sweets than we intend to. One chocolate piece every night can slowly turn into one bar a night if we aren’t aware of what our cravings can do.
Researchers found that when groups were fed high-fat and high-sugar foods like pudding the areas in the brain associated with reward and motivation became increasingly heightened the more days the food was consumed.
While with moderation and correct health guidelines a sweet a day is fine, it’s important to monitor our intake and watch our cravings.
Full article is here!
#JunkFood #MentalHealth #Cravings
What are some tips to restrict your fat/sugar intake?
@sunnyWriting4806
Thank you for sharing this article! It's important to be aware of how our brain reacts to certain foods, and how that can impact our cravings and eating habits.
Here are some tips to help restrict fat and sugar intake:
- Choosing whole foods over processed foods: Whole foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins are naturally lower in fat and sugar compared to processed foods.
- Planning meals and snacks ahead of time: Having healthy snacks on hand can help prevent reaching for sugary or fatty foods when hunger strikes.
Remember, it's all about moderation and balance. Enjoying sweets in moderation is okay, but it's important to be mindful of our intake and make healthy choices the majority of the time 😊
@Mya000
Yes everything in moderation! It's important to be watchful for all the fats/sugars we do eat but it's okay to enjoy them once and awhile! I like your advice on planning your snacks ahead, that way you can keep a schedule on when to eat and not spontaneously find yourself snacking often.
@sunnyWriting4806
I like how you properly quoted the original material
and added a lot of your own thoughts too!
Well done!
Regarding your question:
- "What are some tips to restrict your fat/sugar intake?"
My answer:
-
I eliminated all junk food (foods with added-sugar and added-salt)
All of those things are added on purpose by food "manufacturers"
to make people want to eat more and more
- I also cut-back on all foods with sugar,
even fruits because they too are "made" (as hybrids)
to be as sweet as possible
so people will eat more
If I get an urge for sweetness, I use natural Xylitol products instead:
- Xylitol is a naturally occurring "sugar alcohol" that is in power form.
The advantages of xylitol for sweetness urges are:
- Xylitol is actually very healthy (in proper quantities)
- Xylitol helps prevent cavities
because cavity-causing bacteria can't digest xylitol
so they can't make as much acid that corrodes teeth - Xylitol doesn't cause craving problems like fructose does
- Remember, normal sugar (sucrose) breaks down during digestion
into half glucose, half fructose
So half all the sucrose you eat turns in to fructose
and fructose is documented to cause lots of problems
especially by making people not feel satiated
so they eat more and more
Xylitol is highly researched and proven to prevent cavities
- They even put xylitol in toothpaste and gum
I prefer xylitol in power form:
- You can get packets of xylitol power granules
- You can get xylitol powder granules in bulk
(like you buy sugar)
Frequent use of xylitol during the day is recommended to prevent cavities.
Just don't use it too much. 🌝