We all know sugar is bad for your gut, but it’s not doing your brain any favors either. Information recently published in the Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism indicates that processed fructose (but not the natural stuff found in fruit), affects biological processes in the brain following trauma. In the study, the sweetener interfered with the ability of neurons to form the pathways between brain cells that occur when we learn or experience new things. The experiment was performed on animals that had suffered traumatic brain injury, but even the possibility that a can of soda (which is sweetened with high fructose corn syrup) can impair learning is a sobering fact. If you have ever played contact sports, and especially if you have suffered a concussion, this is just one more good reason to avoid processed sugars.
