Ghrelin is a hormone that increases hunger by interacting with other brain areas, and its levels drop when we eat.
Our brain needs glucose to function properly, and insulin from the pancreas regulates the amount of glucose in the bloodstream.
Glucose is the preferred source of energy for the brain and nervous system, and fructose is handled differently in the body than glucose, as it has the ability to reduce hormones that suppress ghrelin.
High fructose corn syrup has 50% fructose, compared to fruit, which has 1-10% fructose.
There are two parallel pathways in sugar consumption: the conscious pathway related to taste, and the subconscious pathway related to the nutritive component of glucose.
Neuropod cells in the gut sense nutrients, particularly sugar, which activates areas of the brain that increase dopamine and cause you to seek out more of that food.
Eating sugary food shifts your perception of food by modulating dopamine and increases the neural circuits that control pain, frustration, and wanting.
The glycemic index is useful in assessing how hard or fast we're pushing on the parallel pathways/dopamine pathway, and it's best to consume other foods, ideally fiber, along with sweet foods to reduce the glycemic index.
Artificial sweeteners, particularly sucralose, can disrupt the microbiome in high doses and cause an insulin release.
To offset sugar cravings, it's possible to increase fatty acid or amino acid intake, supplement with glutamine, or ingest something sour, which can change the neural response to sugar.
