How sugar and fat affect your brain

When we talk about addictions, one quickly thinks of elements such as gambling, alcohol, or prohibited substances but, for whatever reason, there are two substances such as fat and sugar that are not taken into account. Or not as much as they should be.

The reality makes it clear that both sugar and fat, consumed in an abusive way, can lead to serious health problems for people.

Moreover, a study conducted by the United States National Library of Medicine confirms that 14% of adults and 12% of children are addicted to food.

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The problem of this addiction to food is pointed out by the study itself, since more than half of the food consumed by American citizens is ultra-processed, that is, adapted so that the body reacts to the fats and sugars it contains, releasing dopamine.

Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Michigan, Ashley Gearhardt, points to ultra-processed foods as responsible for the addiction to fats and sugars of millions of people.

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"People don't realize that, like other substances, sugar and fat lead to preventable deaths," he told National Geographic.

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Dopamine, the neurotransmitter that the brain releases when it receives signals of fat or sugar entering the body, is the key element in this addiction.

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Like with drugs, dopamine invites the body to repeat the behavior that we have just performed. In this case, eat ultra-processed foods.

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The greater the amount of dopamine released, the more times the action will be repeated and, therefore, the more fats and sugars will enter the body, with the consequences that this implies.

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And no, far from popular belief, perhaps because of the confusion of its name, dopamine does not increase pleasure or the sensation of pleasure.

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Thus, when sugar and fat come into contact with the mouth, they activate its sensors and these send a message for the body to release the aforementioned dopamine.

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And as if the sensors in the mouth were not enough, there are also secondary sensors in the intestine that send the same message to the brain to release more dopamine in that area.

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Consuming a food rich in sugars and fats can trigger dopamine levels up to 200% above those recommended.

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To make a comparison, these levels are those reached by the body when consuming nicotine or alcohol, the two most common addictions.

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In the case of illegal substances, the range in which the increase in dopamine moves oscillates between 300 and 1,000% above normal levels.

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Thus, the recommendation made by the health authorities is to consume fat and sugar in moderation, in parallel with a balanced and healthy diet.

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