Curious Kids: how do sugar rushes work?

How do sugar rushes work? – W.H, age nine, from Canberra

What a terrific query W.H! Let’s explore this, starting with a few of the basics.

What is sugar?

Sugar is a very important substance for our body and brain to make energy.

Sugar comes from foods called carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates help our bodies to maintain strong muscles. They help our brains to think and learn. They support our organs like the guts and liver to work well, and help our intestines to digest our food and take away waste.

When we eat fruits, vegetables, cereals and grains, we get helpful sugar that the cells in our body and brain must make energy.

When we eat processed foods like lollies, ice creams and soft drinks, we get extra or added sugars that could be unhelpful in large amounts.

These added sugars were thought to supply extra energy – a “sugar rush” that makes us feel good, comfortable and energetic.

When we eat sugary treats, it was thought that they make us do more jumping, playing, considering and learning.

But that is where it gets interesting. A sugar rush is a myth since the body and brain work hard to maintain sugar regular. This means you almost certainly feel good from having a treat, not the sugar!

If a ‘sugar rush’ is a myth, what happens?

It could be hard to keep away from sugary treats and lollies after they are right in front of us.

When we eat lollies, we get an additional amount of sugar in our bodies. Our bodies, taste buds and brain prefer it because we are able to use the sugar to do things.

Sugar is taken up into your bloodstream quickly. Cleverly, our body then moves the sugar around within the bloodstream to your cells, muscles and organs, like your heart and brain.

The sugar in your bloodstream may be very rigorously handled.

Your body will ensure all of the muscles and organs have just the fitting amount of sugar that they should make energy and do their job.

This signifies that the flow of sugar within the body is kept regular and there is no such thing as a “sugar rush”.

The body and brain have plenty of support systems in place to ensure there isn’t an excessive amount of or too little sugar.

Sometimes, if there is just too much sugar within the bloodstream and the body doesn’t use all of the sugar without delay, the sugar will probably be stored. There are plenty of storage places within the body. In fact the body is excellent at storing the sugar to be used later in order that your muscles and organs have just the fitting amount of sugar after they need it.

Because the body and brain are very busy ensuring there’s just the fitting amount of sugar, it could actually get drained. When this happens, this is named a “sugar crash”.

Huh?! We get a sugar crash as a substitute?

Many experiments with plenty of people show us that after we eat plenty of sugar, we are able to get a “sugar crash”.

Scientists have shown that even just half-hour after eating plenty of sugar, you may find yourself feeling not quite pretty much as good as you probably did before. A sugar crash is why, after eating sugary treats, you might end up feeling sad and drained – even a bit bit grumpy.

So because of this when you’ve had a sugary treat and also you’re feeling good, you’re probably feeling good since you’re having fun with family and friends, moderately than from the sugar.

Doing fun things, playing and trying recent games and activities will help your body and brain to feel good, with or without sugar!

Hello, Curious Kids! Do you might have an issue you’d like an authority to reply? Ask an adult to send your query to curiouskids@theconversation.edu.au