Eating another piece of cake or another chocolate is very tempting, although we know it would be healthier not to do so. But what drives this craving for candy?
Many scientists suggest that we want sugar instinctively because it plays a vital role in our survival. The sense of taste has evolved to covet the essential molecules for life such as salt, fat and sugar.
When we eat, glucose, a simple sugar, is absorbed from the intestines into the bloodstream and distributed to all body cells.
Glucose is particularly important for the brain since it is the only fuel for the 100 billion nerve cells called neurons, which need a constant supply of blood flow because they do not have the ability to store glucose themselves.
As diabetics know, someone with low blood sugar can quickly fall into a coma.
Interestingly, scientists discovered that even the mere taste of sugar can stimulate the brain.
Some experiments have shown that participants who rinse their mouth with sugar water performed better mental tasks than when they gargle with water sweetened with artificial sweetener.