A study published by UCLA confirms what you probably have suspected all along: Eating too much sugar is wrecking our brains. Scientists found that just six weeks of bingeing on sodas and sweets sabotages our learning and memory.
Fortunately for us, science is also showing that consuming Omega-3 fatty acids can actually counteract some of the damage. The study conducted looked at the effects of fructose in particular- in the form of cane sugar, aka sucorse, fructose corn syrup and corn syrup. These three things are staples in the modern American diet, in everything from soft drinks to baby food.
What is truly shocking is the average American consumes 156 pounds of sugar per year, according to the Department of Agriculture. That staggering number includes 82 pounds dedicated just to fructose.
Just for reference sake, records in 1822 show that the Average american only consumed 6 pounds of sugar per year.
Your Brain on Sugar
Sugar actually lowers the chemical needed for memory. Sugar also contributes to:
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- Fatty liver
- and Alzheimer’s Disease
- Depression
- Dementia
Your body needs a blood-derived neurotrophic factor called BDNF that is necessary for the formation of our memory, learning and recall. Sugar is shown to reduce the production of this chemical.
Reason for Caution
If you don’t like the taste of your cod liver oil or omega-3 pill and you chase it with a glass of juice … you lose the benefit. Sugar, even from fruit, will push the good fat into the same chemical pathway of not-so-good fats. The result? Inflammation and blood sugar problems.
Adding omega 3 oil to a fruit smoothie? Not such a great idea.
Wondering about your nutritional imbalances?
Click here to take Dr. Rose’s Nutritional Profile Quiz and get an overview of what your nutritional imbalances could be. You’ll get your results immediately.
Return to home pageDr. Marina Rose has helped people with blood sugar issues and other challenging, chronic health conditions in and around the city of Mountain View, CA.