Trick or Treat: How Much Candy Can the Brain Endure?
Whether it is the Halloween season or not, “Sugar Rush” is something that we all love. In short, for many of us, candy equals happiness. But does our brain love sugar as much as we do? No, not really. Our body needs only a certain amount of sugar on a daily basis to function properly. However, when consumed in excess, it can prove to be a bad sign for the body, especially the brain. Keep reading to know how much sugar is safe for you and what the excess can do to you!
What is the safe amount of sugar that one can consume?
Every person’s body is unique and thus, uniquely reacts to sugar. There might be some people who can consume as many sweets as their hearts desire while there are others who go through a lot of harm even if they consume only a little amount of sugar. So, how do you decide the ideal amount of sugar consumption?
The American Heart Association suggests that men can consume about 150 calories worth of sugar on a daily basis. That is roughly nine teaspoons or 37.5 grams. On the other hand, women are advised to consume a maximum of 100 calories worth of sugar, which is six teaspoons or 25 grams in a single day.
Well, this might be a little tough to judge initially. To put it in simpler words: a single Snickers bar of regular size itself has 120 calories from sugar!
Sugar is addictive!
Have you ever wondered to yourself, “why am I eating so much candy?” The answer is simple- sugar can be addictive. When you consume sugar, certain parts of the brain get stimulated that are associated with addiction. These parts are similar to the ones that show a reaction when a human body consumes cocaine.
To sum it up for you, you activate parts of your brain that link back to addiction when you consume sugar. Therefore, you start craving it more! In fact, if you try withdrawing yourself from candy and other sugary treats, the body’s reaction is the same as the type when you withdraw yourself from drugs.
What happens in the long run?
If you are still not that convinced and feel that it is not really doing any harm to you, you might be wrong. There will come a breakdown time for you. Eating all the candy might sound very attractive, but it can be harmful. In the long run, too much sugar consumption causes hyperglycemia or diabetes. Apart from this, the brain functions may get damaged as well. It affects your speaking, reduces your attention span or concentration and much more. It even decreases your ability to memorize things. On some occasions, heightened sugar levels eventually lead to Alzheimer’s too.
Eat sugar and enjoy the sweetness in your mouth. Eat the candy but know your limits. And, if you are excusing yourself on Halloween, make sure you cut down on sugar intake for the days after that. Imagine not being able to consume sugar at all once you get a disease like diabetes! Sounds terrifying, isn’t it? Therefore, stay alert and relish the sweetness of sugar in safe amounts.
