Sugars, Exercise and Overall Health According to Medline Database

Hoeuwe Liu^*
*Correspondence: Hoeuwe Liu, Department of Intensive Physical Therapy, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA, Email:

Keywords

Diabetes • Exercise • Health • Psychiatric disease

Introduction

Highly processed foods may be linked to "food addiction" and thus considered "addictive," as they share characteristics with illicit drugs. Indeed, because of the high concentrated doses and the rapid rate at which refined carbohydrates are absorbed into the system, highly processed foods high in sugar content are linked to addictive-like eating behaviour. Food addiction is similar to psychoactive drug addiction, according to a growing body of neurochemical and genetic evidence. Sugar and sweet rewards, according to some recent experimental research in laboratory rats, can be even more addictive than traditional substances of dependence and abuse, such as cocaine. In discrete trials procedures, rats given the option of choosing between cocaine and sweet fluids show a strong preference for the nondrug re enforcer. Furthermore, food contains both homeostatic and hedonic components, making it a potent, natural, conditioning stimulus to the brain's reward pathways. However, there is a wide range of overeating, from casual overindulgences to pathological drives to consume palatable food. In either case, the resulting addictive appetite behaviour (up to bingeing) may be linked to the current obesity pandemic, with obesity being reinforced by this surge of palatable reward [1,2].

Literature Review

On the other hand, high glycaemic foods are associated with postprandial hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia, which can cause hunger and, ultimately, weight gain. Despite the fact that numerous studies have questioned whether sugar is the sole cause of diabetes (not specifically addressed in any randomized-controlled trial) or obesity, the majority of them have failed to ratify a single linkage. The primary pathological event is most likely excessive energy intake, which leads to overweight, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. These morbid conditions would not be caused by a single nutrient or sugar consumption per second. In fact, once total energy intake is taken into account, many published studies have found no link between sugar consumption and body weight. When sugar is replaced with energy-equivalent macronutrients in metaanalyses of randomised controlled trials, there is no increase in body weight. Simply put, large availability (ubiquity, affordability) of any type of palatable food becomes increasingly responsible for the dramatically increasing rate of obesity, particularly in modern Westernized countries [3-5].

Discussion

Animal studies show that the sugar-bingeing model mimics an addictionlike phenotype but does not necessarily result in obesity. On the other end of the overeating spectrum, genetic and epigenetic factors cause impairment of the brain reward circuitry, resulting in hypo-dopaminergic function and abnormal craving behaviour. Dopamine (DA), a powerful neurotransmitter, regulates feelings of well-being and is activated by a variety of conditions such as excessive carbohydrate and alcohol consumption, use of crack cocaine, cocaine, opioids, nicotine abuse, aggressive behaviours, and sexual arousal. Physical activity, particularly sustained endurance exercise, has the same effect [6].

Conclusion

Aside from its obvious anti-inflammatory properties, exercise has been extensively debated as a natural anti-depressant. The psychological benefits of long-term exercise adherence in clinical and community populations are well established. Exercise can boost resistance to the development of depression and other stress-related psychiatric disorders, such as anxiety and stress itself. The pathophysiology and treatment of stress-related disorders are linked to central reward circuitry, which includes neurotransmitters and neurotrophic factors. Despite the fact that there is little known about the effects of physical activity on psychological stress-related symptoms, multiple physiological and neuroendocrine mechanisms have been proposed.

Acknowledgement

None.

Conflict of Interest

None.

References

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