If you find yourself yearning for something sweet and the urge to raid the biscuit tin is proving impossible to resist, blame your glucose levels, not your sweet tooth, say scientists.
Researchers at Yale University and the University of California found the lack of glucose increases our desire to gorge on high-calorie foods and processed carbohydrates - and it’s all down to the way our brains are wired.
Volunteers for the study were each injected with glucose and their brains were scanned when they were shown images of high and low calorie foods.
When glucose levels were low, the two areas in the brain that control pleasure were stimulated, making the desire to eat, stronger.
The dip in glucose also altered the brains prefrontal cortex, which regulates self-control, making it less likely to take charge of impulse binge eating. The brain subsequently allows us to crave sugary treats, mostly found in carbohydrates.
“Our prefrontal cortex is a sucker for glucose,” says lead researcher Rajita Sinha.
The study also revealed that obese people are the most vulnerable, because even the slightest dip can cause their appetite for sweet food to go into overdrive.
But how can we fight these sweet cravings?
“The brain needs food,” says Sinha. “The key seems to be eating healthy foods that maintain healthy glucose levels.”
The researchers believe that stocking up on nutritional snacks little and often, helps regulate the glucose levels and is better than purging on instant sugar hit food that has no nutritional value. They also indicated that keeping your glucose levels stable, could be the key to staying slim.
‘Good’ sugars include fresh fruit, vegetables, brown rice and whole meal bread. The ‘bad’ varieties include sugary fat traps like white bread, fizzy drinks, cakes and crisps.