Learn English With Videos (Mario Vergara), 055: How Sugar Affects The Brain

055: How Sugar Affects The Brain

Picture warm, gooey cookies, crunchy candies, velvety cakes, waffle cones piled high with ice cream. Is your mouth watering? Are you craving dessert? Why? What happens in the brain that makes sugary foods so hard to resist? Sugar is a general term used to describe a class of molecules called carbohydrates, and it's found in a wide variety of food and drink. Just check the labels on sweet products you buy.

Glucose, fructose, sucrose, maltose, lactose, dextrose, and starch are all forms of sugar. So are high-fructose corn syrup, fruit juice, raw sugar, and honey. And sugar isn't just in candies and desserts, it's also added to tomato sauce, yogurt, dried fruit, flavored waters, or granola bars. Since sugar is everywhere, it's important to understand how it affects the brain.

What happens when sugar hits your tongue? And does eating a little bit of sugar make you crave more? You take a bite of cereal. The sugars it contains activate the sweet-taste receptors, part of the taste buds on the tongue. These receptors send a signal up to the brain stem, and from there, it forks off into many areas of the forebrain, one of which is the cerebral cortex. Different sections of the cerebral cortex process different tastes: bitter, salty, umami, and, in our case, sweet. From here, the signal activates the brain's reward system.

This reward system is a series of electrical and chemical pathways across several different regions of the brain. It's a complicated network, but it helps answer a single, subconscious question: should I do that again? That warm, fuzzy feeling you get when you taste Grandma's chocolate cake? That's your reward system saying, “Mmm, yes!” And it's not just activated by food. Socializing, sexual behavior, and drugs are just a few examples of things and experiences that also activate the reward system.

But overactivating this reward system kickstarts a series of unfortunate events: loss of control, craving, and increased tolerance to sugar. Let's get back to our bite of cereal. It travels down into your stomach and eventually into your gut. And guess what? There are sugar receptors here, too. They are not taste buds, but they do send signals telling your brain that you're full or that your body should produce more insulin to deal with the extra sugar you're eating.

The major currency of our reward system is dopamine, an important chemical or neurotransmitter. There are many dopamine receptors in the forebrain, but they're not evenly distributed. Certain areas contain dense clusters of receptors, and these dopamine hot spots are a part of our reward system. Drugs like alcohol, nicotine, or heroin send dopamine into overdrive, leading some people to constantly seek that high, in other words, to be addicted.

Sugar also causes dopamine to be released, though not as violently as drugs. And sugar is rare among dopamine-inducing foods. Broccoli, for example, has no effect, which probably explains why it's so hard to get kids to eat their veggies.

Speaking of healthy foods, let's say you're hungry and decide to eat a balanced meal. You do, and dopamine levels spike in the reward system hot spots. But if you eat that same dish many days in a row, dopamine levels will spike less and less, eventually leveling out. That's because when it comes to food, the brain evolved to pay special attention to new or different tastes. Why? Two reasons: first, to detect food that's gone bad. And second, because the more variety we have in our diet, the more likely we are to get all the nutrients we need.

To keep that variety up, we need to be able to recognize a new food, and more importantly, we need to want to keep eating new foods. And that's why the dopamine levels off when a food becomes boring.

Now, back to that meal. What happens if in place of the healthy, balanced dish, you eat sugar-rich food instead? If you rarely eat sugar or don't eat much at a time, the effect is similar to that of the balanced meal. But if you eat too much, the dopamine response does not level out.

In other words, eating lots of sugar will continue to feel rewarding. In this way, sugar behaves a little bit like a drug. It's one reason people seem to be hooked on sugary foods. So, think back to all those different kinds of sugar. Each one is unique, but every time any sugar is consumed, it kickstarts a domino effect in the brain that sparks a rewarding feeling. Too much, too often, and things can go into overdrive.

So, yes, overconsumption of sugar can have addictive effects on the brain, but a wedge of cake once in a while won't hurt you.

055: How Sugar Affects The Brain in what way|||| 055: Jak cukr ovlivňuje mozek 055: Wie Zucker das Gehirn beeinflusst 055: Πώς η ζάχαρη επηρεάζει τον εγκέφαλο 055: How Sugar Affects The Brain 055: Cómo afecta el azúcar al cerebro 055 : Comment le sucre affecte le cerveau 055: Come lo zucchero influisce sul cervello 055：砂糖が脳に与える影響 055: 설탕이 뇌에 미치는 영향 055: Jak cukier wpływa na mózg 055: Como o Açúcar Afeta o Cérebro 055: Как сахар влияет на мозг 055: Şeker Beyni Nasıl Etkiler? 055: Як цукор впливає на мозок 055：糖如何影响大脑

Picture warm, gooey cookies, crunchy candies, velvety cakes, waffle cones piled high with ice cream. Imaginez des douceurs|Chaud||||||||||||| ||klebrig||||samtig||||gestapelt|||| ||||||||waffle|||||| 温かみのあるねばねばしたクッキー、カリカリのキャンディー、ビロードのようなケーキ、アイスクリームを高く積み上げたワッフルコーンを想像してみてください。 Imagine biscoitos quentes e pegajosos, doces crocantes, bolos aveludados, cones de waffle empilhados com sorvete. Уявіть тепле, липке печиво, хрусткі цукерки, оксамитові тістечка, вафельні ріжки, наповнені морозивом. Is your mouth watering? Ist|||läuft das Wasser im Mund あなたの口は水をまきますか？ Está com água na boca? У вас сльозяться? Are you craving dessert? ||Gelüste| Hast du Lust auf Nachtisch? Está com vontade de sobremesa? Canınız tatlı mı çekti? Вам хочеться десерту? Why? Por quê? What happens in the brain that makes sugary foods so hard to resist? Was passiert im Gehirn, das es so schwer macht, zuckerhaltigen Lebensmitteln zu widerstehen? 甘い食べ物に抵抗するのを非常に難しくする脳で何が起こりますか？ O que acontece no cérebro que torna os alimentos açucarados tão difíceis de resistir? Şekerli gıdalara karşı koymayı bu kadar zorlaştıran şey beyinde ne oluyor? Що відбувається в мозку, чому так важко встояти від солодкої їжі? Sugar is a general term used to describe a class of molecules called carbohydrates, and it's found in a wide variety of food and drink. Zucker ist ein allgemeiner Begriff, der verwendet wird, um eine Klasse von Molekülen namens Kohlenhydrate zu beschreiben, und er findet sich in einer Vielzahl von Speisen und Getränken. Sugar is a general term used to describe a class of molecules called carbohydrates, and it's found in a wide variety of food and drink. 砂糖は炭水化物と呼ばれる分子のクラスを説明するために使用される一般的な用語であり、さまざまな食べ物や飲み物に含まれています。 Açúcar é um termo geral usado para descrever uma classe de moléculas chamadas carboidratos, e é encontrado em uma ampla variedade de alimentos e bebidas. Şeker, karbonhidrat adı verilen bir molekül sınıfını tanımlamak için kullanılan genel bir terimdir ve çok çeşitli yiyecek ve içeceklerde bulunur. Цукор – це загальний термін, який використовується для опису класу молекул, які називаються вуглеводами, і він міститься в різноманітних продуктах харчування та напоях. Just check the labels on sweet products you buy. Überprüfen Sie einfach die Etiketten auf süßen Produkten, die Sie kaufen. 購入した甘い製品のラベルを確認してください。 Basta verificar os rótulos dos produtos doces que você compra. Просто перевірте етикетки на солодких продуктах, які ви купуєте.

Glucose, fructose, sucrose, maltose, lactose, dextrose, and starch are all forms of sugar. |fructose|sucrose|||||||||| グルコース、フルクトース、スクロース、マルトース、ラクトース、デキストロース、およびデンプンはすべて砂糖の形態です。 Glicose, frutose, sacarose, maltose, lactose, dextrose e amido são todas as formas de açúcar. So are high-fructose corn syrup, fruit juice, raw sugar, and honey. |||||syrup|||||| 高果糖コーンシロップ、フルーツジュース、生砂糖、蜂蜜もそうです。 Assim como xarope de milho rico em frutose, suco de frutas, açúcar bruto e mel. And sugar isn't just in candies and desserts, it's also added to tomato sauce, yogurt, dried fruit, flavored waters, or granola bars. 砂糖はキャンディーやデザートだけでなく、トマトソース、ヨーグルト、ドライフルーツ、フレーバーウォーター、グラノーラバーにも添加されます。 E o açúcar não está apenas em doces e sobremesas, também é adicionado ao molho de tomate, iogurte, frutas secas, águas aromatizadas ou barras de granola. Since sugar is everywhere, it's important to understand how it affects the brain. 砂糖はいたるところにあるので、砂糖が脳にどのように影響するかを理解することが重要です。 Como o açúcar está em toda parte, é importante entender como isso afeta o cérebro.

What happens when sugar hits your tongue? O que acontece quando o açúcar atinge sua língua? And does eating a little bit of sugar make you crave more? ||||||||||sich sehnen nach| そして、砂糖を少し食べると、もっと欲しくなるのでしょうか？ E comer um pouco de açúcar faz você desejar mais? You take a bite of cereal. Você dá uma mordida no cereal. Mısır gevreğinden bir ısırık al. The sugars it contains activate the sweet-taste receptors, part of the taste buds on the tongue. |||||||||||||Knopsen||| The sugars it contains activate the sweet-taste receptors, part of the taste buds on the tongue. そこに含まれる糖は、舌の味蕾の一部である甘い味覚受容体を活性化します。 Os açúcares que contém ativam os receptores de sabor doce, parte das papilas gustativas da língua. İçerdiği şekerler, dil üzerindeki tat tomurcuklarının bir parçası olan tatlı tat reseptörlerini harekete geçirir. Цукри, що містяться в ньому, активують рецептори солодкого смаку, які є частиною смакових рецепторів на язиці. These receptors send a signal up to the brain stem, and from there, it forks off into many areas of the forebrain, one of which is the cerebral cortex. ||||||||||||||gabelt sich|||||||||||||| これらの受容体は脳幹に信号を送り、そこから前脳の多くの領域に分岐します。その1つが大脳皮質です。 Esses receptores enviam um sinal para o tronco cerebral e, a partir daí, ele se bifurca em muitas áreas do prosencéfalo, uma das quais é o córtex cerebral. Ці рецептори посилають сигнал до стовбура мозку, а звідти він розгалужується на багато ділянок переднього мозку, однією з яких є кора головного мозку. Different sections of the cerebral cortex process different tastes: bitter, salty, umami, and, in our case, sweet. ||||cerebral|||||||||||| Diferentes seções do córtex cerebral processam sabores diferentes: amargo, salgado, umami e, no nosso caso, doce. Різні ділянки кори головного мозку обробляють різні смаки: гіркий, солоний, умамі та, в нашому випадку, солодкий. From here, the signal activates the brain's reward system. ここから、信号は脳の報酬系を活性化します。 A partir daqui, o sinal ativa o sistema de recompensa do cérebro.

This reward system is a series of electrical and chemical pathways across several different regions of the brain. この報酬システムは、脳のいくつかの異なる領域にまたがる一連の電気的および化学的経路です。 Este sistema de recompensa é uma série de caminhos elétricos e químicos em várias regiões diferentes do cérebro. It's a complicated network, but it helps answer a single, subconscious question: should I do that again? ||||||||||unterbewusst|||||| それは複雑なネットワークですが、それは単一の潜在意識の質問に答えるのに役立ちます：私はそれをもう一度やるべきですか？ É uma rede complicada, mas ajuda a responder a uma única pergunta subconsciente: devo fazer isso de novo? That warm, fuzzy feeling you get when you taste Grandma's chocolate cake? おばあちゃんのチョコレートケーキを味わうと、あの暖かくてぼんやりとした感じになりますか？ Aquele sentimento quente e confuso que você sente quando prova o bolo de chocolate da vovó? Те тепле, розпливчасте відчуття, яке ви відчуваєте, коли куштуєте бабусине шоколадне тістечко? That's your reward system saying, “Mmm, yes!” And it's not just activated by food. それがあなたの報酬システムで、「うーん、そうだ！」と言っています。そして、それは食べ物によって活性化されるだけではありません。 Esse é o seu sistema de recompensa dizendo: "Mmm, sim!" E não é apenas ativado pelos alimentos. Socializing, sexual behavior, and drugs are just a few examples of things and experiences that also activate the reward system. 付き合い、性的行動、麻薬は、報酬システムを活性化するものや経験のほんの一例です。 Socialização, comportamento sexual e drogas são apenas alguns exemplos de coisas e experiências que também ativam o sistema de recompensa.

But overactivating this reward system kickstarts a series of unfortunate events: loss of control, craving, and increased tolerance to sugar. しかし、この報酬システムを過剰に活性化すると、一連の不幸な出来事が始まります：コントロールの喪失、渇望、そして砂糖への耐性の増加。 Mas a superativação desse sistema de recompensas desencadeia uma série de eventos infelizes: perda de controle, desejo e maior tolerância ao açúcar. Let's get back to our bite of cereal. シリアルの一口に戻りましょう。 Vamos voltar ao nosso pedaço de cereal. It travels down into your stomach and eventually into your gut. ||||||||||Darm それはあなたの胃の中へ、そして最終的にはあなたの腸の中へと移動します。 Ele viaja para o estômago e, eventualmente, para o intestino. And guess what? そして、何を推測しますか？ E adivinha? There are sugar receptors here, too. ここにも糖受容体があります。 Há receptores de açúcar aqui também. They are not taste buds, but they do send signals telling your brain that you're full or that your body should produce more insulin to deal with the extra sugar you're eating. それらは味蕾ではありませんが、あなたが満腹である、またはあなたが食べている余分な砂糖に対処するためにあなたの体がより多くのインスリンを生成する必要があることをあなたの脳に伝える信号を送ります。 Eles não são papilas gustativas, mas enviam sinais dizendo ao seu cérebro que você está cheio ou que seu corpo deve produzir mais insulina para lidar com o açúcar extra que você está comendo. Це не смакові рецептори, але вони посилають сигнали мозку про те, що ви ситі або що ваш організм повинен виробляти більше інсуліну, щоб впоратися із зайвим цукром, який ви з'їдаєте.

The major currency of our reward system is dopamine, an important chemical or neurotransmitter. 私たちの報酬システムの主要な通貨は、重要な化学物質または神経伝達物質であるドーパミンです。 A principal moeda do nosso sistema de recompensa é a dopamina, um importante químico ou neurotransmissor. Главной валютой нашей системы вознаграждения является дофамин, важное химическое вещество или нейротрансмиттер. There are many dopamine receptors in the forebrain, but they're not evenly distributed. 前脳には多くのドーパミン受容体がありますが、それらは均等に分布していません。 Existem muitos receptores de dopamina no prosencéfalo, mas eles não estão distribuídos uniformemente. Certain areas contain dense clusters of receptors, and these dopamine hot spots are a part of our reward system. 特定の領域には受容体の密集したクラスターが含まれており、これらのドーパミンホットスポットは私たちの報酬システムの一部です。 Certas áreas contêm aglomerados densos de receptores, e esses pontos quentes de dopamina fazem parte do nosso sistema de recompensa. Певні ділянки містять щільні скупчення рецепторів, і ці дофамінові "гарячі точки" є частиною нашої системи винагороди. Drugs like alcohol, nicotine, or heroin send dopamine into overdrive, leading some people to constantly seek that high, in other words, to be addicted. |||nicotine|||||||||||||||||||| アルコール、ニコチン、ヘロインなどの薬物はドーパミンをオーバードライブに送り込み、一部の人々は絶えずその高さを求めます。つまり、中毒になります。 Drogas como álcool, nicotina ou heroína aumentam a dopamina, levando algumas pessoas a buscar constantemente esse nível, em outras palavras, a se tornarem dependentes. Наркотики, такі як алкоголь, нікотин або героїн, підвищують рівень дофаміну, що призводить до того, що деякі люди постійно прагнуть цього кайфу, іншими словами, стають залежними.

Sugar also causes dopamine to be released, though not as violently as drugs. 砂糖はまた、薬物ほど激しくはありませんが、ドーパミンを放出させます。 O açúcar também faz com que a dopamina seja liberada, embora não tão violentamente quanto as drogas. And sugar is rare among dopamine-inducing foods. Und Zucker ist unter den Dopamin-induzierenden Lebensmitteln selten. そして、砂糖はドーパミンを誘発する食品の中でまれです。 E o açúcar é raro entre os alimentos indutores de dopamina. А сахар редко встречается среди продуктов, стимулирующих выработку дофамина. А цукор рідко зустрічається серед продуктів, що викликають вироблення дофаміну. Broccoli, for example, has no effect, which probably explains why it's so hard to get kids to eat their veggies. たとえば、ブロッコリーは効果がありません。これはおそらく、子供に野菜を食べさせるのが非常に難しい理由を説明しています。 O brócolis, por exemplo, não tem efeito, o que provavelmente explica por que é tão difícil fazer as crianças comerem vegetais.

Speaking of healthy foods, let's say you're hungry and decide to eat a balanced meal. 健康食品といえば、お腹が空いていてバランスの取れた食事をすることにしたとしましょう。 Falando em alimentos saudáveis, digamos que você esteja com fome e decida fazer uma refeição balanceada. You do, and dopamine levels spike in the reward system hot spots. あなたはそうします、そしてドーパミンレベルは報酬システムのホットスポットで急上昇します。 Você faz, e os níveis de dopamina aumentam nos pontos quentes do sistema de recompensa. Вы делаете это, и уровень дофамина в "горячих точках" системы вознаграждения повышается. But if you eat that same dish many days in a row, dopamine levels will spike less and less, eventually leveling out. しかし、同じ料理を何日も続けて食べると、ドーパミンのレベルはどんどん急上昇し、最終的には横ばいになります。 Mas se você comer o mesmo prato muitos dias seguidos, os níveis de dopamina aumentarão cada vez menos, eventualmente se estabilizando. That's because when it comes to food, the brain evolved to pay special attention to new or different tastes. それは、食べ物に関しては、脳が進化して、新しい味や異なる味に特別な注意を払うようになったからです。 Isso porque quando se trata de comida, o cérebro evoluiu para dar atenção especial a sabores novos ou diferentes. Why? なんで？ Two reasons: first, to detect food that's gone bad. 2つの理由：最初に、悪くなった食べ物を検出するため。 Duas razões: primeiro, para detectar alimentos estragados. And second, because the more variety we have in our diet, the more likely we are to get all the nutrients we need. そして第二に、私たちの食事の種類が多ければ多いほど、必要なすべての栄養素を摂取する可能性が高くなります。 E segundo, porque quanto mais variedade tivermos em nossa dieta, maior será a probabilidade de obtermos todos os nutrientes de que precisamos.

To keep that variety up, we need to be able to recognize a new food, and more importantly, we need to want to keep eating new foods. その多様性を維持するために、私たちは新しい食べ物を認識できる必要があり、さらに重要なことに、私たちは新しい食べ物を食べ続けたいと思う必要があります。 Para manter essa variedade, precisamos ser capazes de reconhecer um novo alimento e, mais importante, precisamos querer continuar comendo novos alimentos. And that's why the dopamine levels off when a food becomes boring. そしてそれが、食べ物が退屈になるとドーパミンが横ばいになる理由です。 E é por isso que a dopamina se estabiliza quando um alimento se torna chato.

Now, back to that meal. さて、その食事に戻りましょう。 Agora, de volta àquela refeição. What happens if in place of the healthy, balanced dish, you eat sugar-rich food instead? 健康的でバランスの取れた料理の代わりに、砂糖が豊富な食べ物を食べるとどうなりますか？ O que acontece se, no lugar do prato saudável e equilibrado, você comer alimentos ricos em açúcar? If you rarely eat sugar or don't eat much at a time, the effect is similar to that of the balanced meal. 砂糖をめったに食べない、または一度にあまり食べない場合、効果はバランスの取れた食事の効果と同様です。 Se você raramente come açúcar ou não come muito de uma vez, o efeito é semelhante ao da refeição balanceada. But if you eat too much, the dopamine response does not level out. しかし、食べすぎるとドーパミン反応は横ばいになりません。 Mas se você comer demais, a resposta da dopamina não se estabiliza.

In other words, eating lots of sugar will continue to feel rewarding. 言い換えれば、砂糖をたくさん食べることはやりがいを感じ続けるでしょう。 Em outras palavras, comer muito açúcar continuará a ser gratificante. In this way, sugar behaves a little bit like a drug. Desta forma, o açúcar se comporta um pouco como uma droga. It's one reason people seem to be hooked on sugary foods. それは人々が甘い食べ物に夢中になっているように見える理由の1つです。 É uma das razões pelas quais as pessoas parecem viciadas em alimentos açucarados. Це одна з причин, чому люди, здається, підсіли на солодку їжу. So, think back to all those different kinds of sugar. だから、それらすべての異なる種類の砂糖を思い出してください。 Então, pense em todos esses diferentes tipos de açúcar. Each one is unique, but every time any sugar is consumed, it kickstarts a domino effect in the brain that sparks a rewarding feeling. ||||||||||||||||||||auslöst||| Cada um é único, mas cada vez que qualquer açúcar é consumido, ele inicia um efeito dominó no cérebro que desencadeia uma sensação gratificante. Too much, too often, and things can go into overdrive. 多すぎる、多すぎる、そして物事はオーバードライブに入る可能性があります。 Demasiado, com demasiada frequência, e as coisas podem entrar em overdrive. Занадто багато, занадто часто, і все може вийти з-під контролю.

So, yes, overconsumption of sugar can have addictive effects on the brain, but a wedge of cake once in a while won't hurt you. ||||||||||||||Stück||||||||| ですから、そうです、砂糖の過剰摂取は脳に中毒性のある影響を与える可能性がありますが、たまにケーキのくさびがあなたを傷つけることはありません。 Então, sim, o consumo excessivo de açúcar pode ter efeitos viciantes no cérebro, mas uma fatia de bolo de vez em quando não vai te machucar. Итак, да, чрезмерное потребление сахара может вызвать привыкание к мозгу, но кусочек торта время от времени вам не повредит. Так, надмірне споживання цукру може викликати звикання мозку, але час від часу шматочок торта вам не зашкодить.