Answering the question, why does sweetness lift your mood and improve your well-being?

Sweet lovers quite often claim that sugar can improve your mood.

And what do scientists and nutritionists say about this? If sugar really affects the functioning of the brain, then is this relevant for all other sweets?

Some studies confirm that glucose really improves mood in the short term, as well as provides a surge of energy and increased concentration.

Other studies indicate the negative effects of sugar on the brain in the long term.

In this article we will try to figure it out, how does sweetness affect the brain , does it really improve emotional well-being, as well as how much can you eat during the day so that it does not negatively affect your health?

How does sugar affect the human brain?

Sweets are foods rich in carbohydrates, which, in turn, are synthesized in the body to glucose or sucrose, and then into pure energy. And that's why by eating sweets Brain activity increases and the body as a whole.

But the most "useful" for the brain and the nervous system is precisely chocolate. Because in addition to its high carbohydrate content, it also contains magnesium and tryptophan – these substances are directly involved in the production of serotonin and dopamine . These hormones, in turn, are responsible for regulating the current mood.

The same serotonin doctors often call it the "hormone of happiness" , because it is with its help that a person feels joy, fun, love. Bananas act in a similar way – they also have a lot of magnesium. But best of all improves mood it is chocolate, because it contains cocoa (and cocoa beans are one of the largest sources of tryptophan among food products).

Also a small amount of sugar can be short-term Improve performance and Make it easier to concentrate .

Daily allowance for men and women

In fact, this norm for each person is somewhat different and depends on his individual physiological characteristics.

Nutritionists claim that it is allowed to eat daily:

• Men : 37.5 grams or 9 teaspoons.
• Women : 25 grams or 6 teaspoons.

But during pregnancy, women are allowed a little more – up to 30 grams, men with daily physical activity can also increase the dosage to about 50 grams.

And how much should I eat daily? Doctors claim that, for example,  just 50 grams of dark chocolate is enough to produce enough serotonin to lift the mood. You can also eat chocolates and bars.

Anything that is eaten in excess of the norm will have almost no effect on well-being. And it is better to get the rest of the carbohydrates from other foods, some of which we will discuss below.

And as for chocolate, it is better to give preference to homemade, since vegetable fats and pasteurized cocoa butter are added to the "store" – these components do not carry any benefit and can be harmful to the brain .

Is it possible to completely give up sweets? Theoretically, yes, because carbohydrates are not only found in sweets. There are quite a lot of them in the same bread, potatoes, eggplant, corn. That is, even with such a diet, the body will still receive the necessary amount of carbohydrates for itself.

It's still not worth giving up carbohydrates completely. If the blood sugar level drops below a critical level (about 2 mmol/l), this will lead to a hypoglycemic coma. That is why even with type 1 diabetes, doctors include sweets in the patient's diet, albeit in very small quantities (to maintain sugar levels in the range from 3 to 11 mmol / l, which is conditionally safe for health).

However, sugar abuse can cause significant harm to health:

Therefore, it is very important to follow the recommended daily intake standards and not exceed them.

What can be replaced?

How can I replace sweets so that it is both tasty and healthy? Nutritionists can point to the following products:

1. Honey. Consists of carbohydrates by almost 40%. The rest are minerals, essential oils, vitamins and water. In fact, it is one of the most beneficial sweet foods for the body. You should be careful with it only in the active stage of diabetes mellitus. More detailed about the effect of honey on the brain see here.
2. Dried fruits. The composition is very similar to honey, but they are based on easily digestible fructose, but there is practically no water. Another feature is that dried fruits contain a large amount of fiber, which the body needs to normalize digestive function. It is not digested, but at the same time mechanically cleanses the intestines of toxins, dense feces.
3. Bananas. Are the largest natural source of "simple" carbohydrates, which are actively absorbed within 10 minutes after consumption. At the same time, bananas contain magnesium, which is involved in the production of serotonin and dopamine.
4. Marshmallows. This is a fruit "marmalade", which consists only of natural ingredients. It is recommended to give it to children starting from 12 months old. It also contains a lot of carbohydrates, as well as vitamins, a small amount of fiber.

Interesting video

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Thus, although sweets help fight depression, they can also be harmful if consumed excessively. This is especially true for fatty desserts, the same chocolate, muffins, sweets. Therefore, follow the recommendations given in this article and be healthy!