Happy Halloween.
It’s almost that day… the day that every kid, at least in my generation, looked forward to for months. I have definitely noticed that downturn in the excitement building up to this day in the kid population. No matter what, there will be a lot of candy given out on Halloween and there will be a lot collected by kids.
This newsletter is dedicated to giving parents some information about sugar and the brain. Halloween this year falls on a Wednesday night and that means there will still be 2 more days of school left in the week. I know they will beg but it is important is it to limit the amount of candy you let your child consume on Halloween and the days that follow.
Here’s why:
- Sugar Addition. Consuming foods and drinks high in sugar can create a drug like effect on the brain. Research points to sugar cravings being stronger that of many drugs – even cocaine. Which means that consuming high amounts of sugar can cause withdrawal like symptoms and behavioral changes.
- Decreased ability to think. There are studies that show a diet high in sugar leads to impaired thought process. A diet high is sugars (which would include grains) can cause insulin resistance and when insulin levels in the brain are lowered as the result of excess sugar consumption, cognition can be impaired.
- Energy? Let’s face it, a lot of people look to sugar to get some quick energy thanks to the Snickers commercials, but studies show that walking for 10 minutes does a much better job of increasing your energy than eating the sugar.
- Depression. Too much sugar has been linked to depression, one study used 70, 000 participants! It works two ways; first, sugar levels spike with consumption but as most of us know they also drop, quickly and we experience a “sugar crash”, this can have big effect on one mood, second sugar stimulates the release of the mood-boosting neurotransmitter serotonin over-activating these serotonin pathways can deplete our supplies of the neurotransmitter, which can contribute to symptoms of depression.
- A study published in Behavioral Neuroscience showed that high sugar consumption may have a negative affect on memory which is so important for school… and life in general. Because sugar directly affects the hormone insulin, penetrating the blood-brain barrier, high levels may not only affect the learning process (as stated above) but also contribute to memory loss.
Don’t stop all consumption of sugar because I have seen that completely backfire, but teach the child moderation in consumption. 1 or 2 pieces a day is a great way for them to enjoy what they got, but also keep the eating under control.
Yours in Health,
Dr. Jack Belitz, DC
PS Changing seasons are especially hard on the body so bring the family in for an adjustment as we move from Fall to Winter to keep your body working at it’s best and avoid things like sickness and other problems.
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