JOURNAL: Sweet Research

Our brain is incredibly complex and vulnerable to toxins, physical injury, metabolic dysfunctions and and our diet determines what nutrients are available to help the brain overcome these toxins. Sugar is often a large part in our diet as it is often added to processed foods to increase desirability. Our body responds to sugar like an addictive drug. During brain scans drugs such as opiates and cocaine light up the same pleasure centers in our brain as sugar. Studies of mice indicate addiction to sugar is similar to addictive drugs.

What does sugar do to the brain?
Sugar causes the increase of Dopamine which in turn induces changes to their receptors. Sugar causes the release of natural opioids reducing pain and inducing addiction cravings. Sugar increases Acetylcholine dumps impact motor performance and muscle readiness for activity. The high from all this activity is both euphoric and addicting.
The immediate impact of sugar is the large scale production and the dumping of the powerful neurotransmitters into the cranial fluid. This is followed by sudden declines as the body stops producing those same neurotransmitters and restarting the production takes time. So the fast paced happy high of 2 hours is followed by a crash and blues that can last much longer.
Adding insult to injury sugar decreases GABA released from the Pancreas to help a person relax at the end of the day. This reduces the probability of good night sleep after the sugar high. So then a light uncomfortable sleep that is easily disturbed follows the sugar high. Several days of sugar can begin a downward cycle involving sleep deprivation that may take weeks to recover from. The lack of sleep is documented to produce a whole new set of mental health problems including poor memory, confusion, high suggestibility, delusional thoughts, paranoia and even psychosis. Most parents understand the impact of sugars highs all too well and hopefully this treatment will encourage you to consider the health of your children and the habits they will develop regarding sugar.
Sustained consumption of sugar results in altered metabolic functions that overproduce neurotransmitters altering peak function ratios of the substances.. Sugar consumption reduces Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor proteins generating emotional instability and long term physiological decline. The scientific case for the harm caused by sugar was once mocked fifty years ago. Now the harm of simple carbohydrates (sugar) is overwhelmingly confirmed using post facto studies, clinical outcomes and using new biochemical techniques such as radioactive tracing and nuclear magnetic resonance scans sugars is confirmed to disrupt metabolic cycles that supply the brain with needed proteins and nutrients.
Fertilizer is to plants what sugar is to mental illness. One in five adults experienced some form of mental illness in a year. The average sugar consumption in the US is more than a third of a pound per day! This is six times more that the highest level of sugar recommended by and ten times or more than what many health experts would recommend. An international study found that
"For the six countries with available data for the primary analysis, there was a highly significant correlation between sugar consumption and the annual rate of depression." The correlation was extremely high (0.948) and using this data sugar consumption explains 80% of the increase in rates of depression in nations that increased sugar consumption. Sugar is a great fertilizer if the national goal is increased mental illness.

What are the challenges of reducing sugar intake?
The first challenge to reducing sugar intake is the physical addiction and the side effects. Eating sugar causes activity in the pleasure centers and the release of natural opiates. These two actions alone are enough to fuel addiction. In studies of mice the addiction to oreo cookies was as significant as an addiction to cocaine . So when reducing sugar consumption we must also contend with a body that after years of sugar is suddenly faced with reductions in a highly addictive substance. This withdrawal causes discomfort that is not easy to overcome. One may want to plan a phased reduction so that the discomfort does not lead to an emotional tumult that results in a "relapse" and even greater sugar consumption.
If you have been on a long term high sugar diet, you are suffering from neurotransmitter imbalances. Emotional instability and intellectual compromise makes the addiction stronger than most substances like alcohol, nicotine or even opiates. During the withdrawal you will:
crave sugar to the point of mood changes.
binge eat on sugar.
fail to taste the sugar in sweet fruits.
hide your consumption of sweets from those who know of your problem.
make excuses to eat sugar.
Get depressed and fatigued after consuming sugar
Removing excess sugars from your diet is not easy. You will go through withdrawal symptoms. Symptoms will be worse for a little before you body begins to adjust and regulates neurotransmitters again without the increases sue to sugar consumption.
When the impact of excess sugar consumption is added to metabolic dysfunctions and metal imbalances there is a higher likelihood of mental health issues. The intensity of the malady you will endure is determined by your initial diet and intake of sugar, the metabolic problems you may have, the trace metals and minerals present and your general health. The empty calories sugar provides will be replaced. That will be one of the good things that will happen when you dispense with this addiction.

What are the benefits of a low sugar intake?
If the calories consumed by sugar are replaced with animal fats, proteins and a variety of vegetables then two things contribute to your improved health. First the new food intake will have more nutrients available per calorie for meeting your physiological needs. Second the incredible swings in brain neurochemistry will be reduced which allow you to make more rational decisions about your food intake. A reduction of sugar intake and increase in a variety of nutrients will lead to the proper repair and maintenance of brain organs, receptors, neural networks and provide a stable and increased level of needed Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor proteins.
Higher per calorie nutrition meets the needs of every organ, tissue, bone and cartilage in your body. These nutritional needs are met with less calories meaning that it will be easier to maintain a healthy weight. Less sugar means the regulation of blood sugar by insulin will be easier for your body. Less sugar results in a lower viscosity for blood and higher blood flow and less cellular oxidation which directly impacts overall health.
If you have a latent or malignant cancer the cancer cells require sugar. Denying the cancer food reduces growth and malignancy of those cancer cells.
A healthier brain helps one live a healthier life. A healthier life can help us to enjoy life, liberty the pursuit of happiness all the more!

Helpful tips on displacing refined sugar in the diet: