Does Sugar Really Improve Mental Performance?

Until recently, many people mistakenly believed tha t sugar improves mental performance. However, the latest studies call this claim into question. Now, scientists know that the body has very effective mechanisms to supply glucose to the brain, even without consuming sugar. The brain relies on a continuous supply of glucose from the bloodstream to maintain proper function. Therefore, it competes with the rest of the body’s organs for glucose when its levels drop. If this happens, the following mechanisms occur: First, glucose is extracted from the blood . Second, the amount of glucose that the rest of the body’s cells receive is limited. On the other hand, if blood sugar levels decrease due to a food consumption deficit, the body has other ways of obtaining this nutrient. The main mechanism for this is gluconeogenesis. It consists of the formation of glucose from proteins and fatty acids. Overall, it’s an effective mechanism that allows the body to maintain safe blood sugar levels under fasting conditions or when a person is not consuming enough carbohydrates. Sugar consumption and memory Some studies associate the administration of sugar with an improvement in short-term memory . This kind of consumption usually consists of drinking a sugary beverage and the results show that intense mental tasks respond well to glucose administration. Until recently, experts argued that the brain works optimally with 25 grams of glucose circulating in the bloodstream, which is about the amount a banana contains. However, the latest articles conclude that people with better glucose tolerance have better memory scores. This situation is essential in the case of people with diabetes, in which insulin resistance develops that does not allow glycemia to be well tolerated. Therefore, the body has very effective mechanisms capable of obtaining glucose from proteins and fatty acids to maintain […]

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