Outline

Susie Sample

COLL 300: Research, Analysis, and Writing

Professor Willmington

October 19, 2021

Sugar and the Brain: A Bad Combination

I. Sugar’s impact on the brain is of concern. a. High sugar diets are known to cause significant health problems. b. Americans have high sugar diets. c. Sugar’s impacts on the brain are not fully understood, but could be significant. d. Additional research is needed to determine specific cognitive functions impacted

by sugar and interventions are needed to help people make wiser food choices. II. Obesity has a critical role in overall health.

a. Being overweight increases the risk of numerous health problems.

b. Obesity is also related to cognitive impairments and diseases.

III. Sugar’s role in cognitive functions is complex.

a. Consumption of glucose can improve cognitive performance. b. Consuming sweet beverages during pregnancy has adversely impacted childhood

non-verbal scores. IV. The role of sugar changes as one ages.

a. Cognitive functions of middle-aged persons appear to be impacted significantly

by obesity. b. Such correlations are not as clear as people age. c. Studies have had mixed results.

V. One of the key factors researchers encountered was the impact of sugar on people’s

ability to make dietary decisions. a. Those with a higher BMI have been found to have a “sweet cognition,” a

condition related to attention to non-food cues. b. Repeated consumption of sugary foods has been found to lead to a decline in the

functioning of the hippocampus. c. Additional research found that the ongoing use of high energy diets that have

substantial amounts of sugar disrupt cognitive functions, including memory. VI. Additional research is needed to clarify the relationship between sugar and cognition and

to focus on possible interventions. a. The research should have both animal and human subjects. b. Economic and personal impacts of excess sugar consumption warrant increased

expenditures on research.

c. Understanding the impacts of sugar on brain functions is essential to help ensure

people’s well-being, as is effective intervention to reduce the amount of sugar that

is consumed.