Published this month in the scientific journal Physiology & Behavior, a study reveals that confiscating his usual dose of sugar to our brain would cause him impulsive behavior.

In neuroscience, food is perceived as a "natural reward". A pleasant contribution to our brain that is essential to repeat. For morale, but also for our survival!

Intelligent, our body has created a system that can decipher the "natural rewards" we bring to our body. And when that happens, a bundle of neurons signals it to a part of our brain called "accumbens". Then, in turn, this connection sends us a signal urging us to take some of this delicious food, or not! And simultaneously, our brain sends signals to the hormones responsible for telling us, "OMG, this cake is amazing! I will remember it. "Signals that we would sometimes like to forget, of course.

But the problem is this: today, it is almost impossible to come across processed and prepared foods that do not have added sugars for their flavor or preservation. Result ? Our brain becomes ultra sugar tolerant, even dependent. The notion of "reward" is thus diverted, the neuro-chemical behavior associated with sugar suggesting that it is an addiction.

As proof, carried out on a panel of several rats, the study tends to show that sugar withdrawal causes impulsive behavior in our brain. Trained to obtain water after pressing a lever, the rats obtained after the effort of the water, or sugar and water. The results of the study showed that after 30 days, when the rats were once again able to squeeze the lever, those who obtained sugar in addition to their water had significantly more leverage than the rats. having obtained only water. A result suggesting impulsive behavior. Although the study was conducted on rats, it is not unlikely that the human brain succumbs to the same mechanism.

So in the long run, what causes regular consumption of sugar? Once in the body, sugar increases the concentration of a type of excitatory receptor called D1, and decreases that of an inhibitory receptor called D2. In short, regular and prolonged sugar consumption causes greater excitement of the "reward" pathways of our brain, and a greater need for sugar to activate the midbrain as before. The brain then becomes sugar tolerant, and more so affinity!