28th Jul 2022 | Posted by Achim Peters in The Scientific American
Why Do We Crave Sweets When We’re Stressed?
Although our brain accounts for just 2 percent of
our body weight, the organ consumes half of our daily carbohydrate
requirements—and glucose is its most important fuel. Under acute stress
the brain requires some 12 percent more energy, leading many to reach
for sugary snacks.
Carbohydrates provide the body with the quickest
source of energy. In fact, in cognitive tests subjects who were stressed
performed poorly prior to eating. Their per
…