What is a Sugar High? | Teen Ink

What is a Sugar High?

January 18, 2015
By Clary_Fray DIAMOND, Castro Valley, California
Clary_Fray DIAMOND, Castro Valley, California
50 articles 13 photos 35 comments

Favorite Quote:
foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of the mind
-rwe


Why do we get hyped up on sugar?

Here’s how it happens:
1. Large amounts of sugar at once will make your body produce more insulin-- insulin is what controls the sugars in your body. (If you don’t have enough insulin to regulate as much sugar as you consume, it causes diabetes.)
2. The increased amounts of insulin cause amino acids such as phenylalanine (a protein) to be somewhat repressed.
Phenylalanine will turn into tyrosine, which is another amino acid that will travel to your brain and function as neurotransmitters.
3. With less neurotransmitters, less dopamine can be shot through your brain. Dopamine is a natural happiness drug your brain produces and hops from neurotransmitter to neurotransmitter in your brain so that the happy feeling is complete.
4. Agh! Too much sugar! The neurotransmitters can’t deal, and you get this rush-- this high from sugar.



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