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Long-term overconsumption of sugar starting at adolescence produces persistent hyperactivity and neurocognitive deficits in adulthood
As sugar continues to become an increasing part of our available diet, it has inadvertently led to sugar overconsumption in children, teens, and adults in over 60 countries around the world, where the average consumption of sugar is >100 g/person/day – more than four times the dietary limit recommended by WHO. Current literature postulates that traits like obesity and impulsive behavior are linked to poor dietary choices, resulting in an increase in processed food and beverage intake. The extent of the chronic effects of exaggerated sugar intake on cognition and consequential hyperactivity, from the age of adolescence onwards, are not well understood. Thus, Beecher et al. (2021) conducted their experiments on a mouse model of sugar intake, observing that overconsumption of sugar (at significant levels to induce weight gain) over an extended period of time resulted in mice exhibiting aberrant hyperlocomotor activity, and suffering from derangements in episodic and spatial memory. These findings are congruent with published works investigating attention deficit and hyperactivity disorders, where pathological hippocampal neurogenesis was found to be linked to defective hippocampal-dependent learning and memory processes. Based on these facts, the authors postulate that chronic exaggerated intake of sugars (which is observed in western diets) may increase the risk of suffering from persistent hyperactivity and other neurocognitive disorders in adulthood. [NPID: Sucrose, hyperactivity, neurocognitive deficits, neurogenesis, adulthood].
Year: 2021
