Romeo couldn’t live without Juliet. Similarly, our bodies struggle to live without sugar, but neither can we live with it. Interestingly, the primary reason for Romeo’s death was his impulsive nature and lack of effective communication, which even we lack with our body. Thus, finding the right balance becomes crucial, for that, we need to know the inner workings of our body!
Let’s decipher.
First thing first, sugars are carbohydrates. So, when we eat sugars, whether simple (glucose, fructose) or complex (Fibres, glycogen), it is all the same for our body; only the pathway for their processing differs. Glucose quickly goes from the bloodstream to tissues like muscles for energy, thanks to insulin, which helps uptake glucose molecules inside cells. Fructose, however, is first converted to glucose, lactate, or fatty acids in the liver before entering the bloodstream. And for this reason, fructose doesn’t affect blood sugar and hunger hormones like glucose does, which sometimes leads to overeating.
Then there’s this big nerve called the vagus nerve that connects the brain to the gut. When food, especially sugars or artificial sweeteners, enters our gut, it sends signals to the brain through the vagus nerve. These signals help us sense what’s in our stomach and intestines, communicating with special cells (neuropods) in our intestines that send signals to the brain. These cells then release a chemical called glutamate.
And glutamate is a messenger in your brain that helps things run smoothly, but too much of it can cause trouble, activating nerves connected to our brainstem (the brain’s command center). These brainstem neurons then send signals to areas in our brain associated with pleasure, like the dopamine (feel-good hormone) system.
So, when we eat something sweet like sugar, dopamine is released in our brains, making us feel good. This dopamine release helps us learn to like certain foods.
These brain areas also include the nucleus tractus solitarius NTS, which is like a central hub where information from all over your body comes together. For example, if your stomach is empty and growling, the NTS gets the message and tells your brain that you’re hungry. Or if your heart is beating too fast, the NTS can help slow it down to keep things in balance.
So, how does knowing all these fancy terms help?
Because this network of sensations affects your arousal system, whether you are having sound sleep or having mood swings. Most importantly, this intestinal signaling also influences your ability to make memories. Thus, think before what you put inside your body. You cannot run a diesel car on petrol!
grewal 