Is the sugar in your soda affecting your mind? A single 355 mL can of pop contai

Question

Is the sugar in your soda affecting your mind?

A single 355 mL can of pop contains about 40 grams of sucrose or glucose–fructose. These sugary beverages are a leading source of calories in the Canadian diet and have been correlated with obesity and diabetes. There may be even more to this sweet dilemma, however. Could the sugars found in soda be altering your brain function?

Part A

You perceive the sweetness of sucrose based on a specific interaction between fructose and proteins on your tongue's taste buds. What structural difference between glucose and fructose would you predict to be responsible for the fact that fructose tastes sweeter?

You perceive the sweetness of sucrose based on a specific interaction between fructose and proteins on your tongue's taste buds. What structural difference between glucose and fructose would you predict to be responsible for the fact that fructose tastes sweeter?

The position of the carbonyl is the most striking structural difference between these sugars (glucose forms a five-membered ring while fructose forms a six-membered one). The difference in cyclic forms in sucrose is the most striking structural difference between these sugars (glucose forms a six-membered ring while fructose forms a five-membered one). The positions of hydroxyls are the most striking structural differences between these sugars. The position of the carbonyl is the most striking structural difference between these sugars (glucose is an aldose while fructose is a ketose). Sucrose CH2OH CH20H 3 OH OH H a-Glucose -Fructose

Explanation / Answer

New research suggests that excess sugar especially the fructose in sugary drinks might damage the brain. Researchers have found that people who drink sugary beverages frequently are more likely to have poorer memory, smaller brain volume and significantly smaller hippocampus(an area of brain important for learning and memory) .

A follow up study found that people who drank diet soda daily were almost three times as likely to develop stroke and dementia when compared to those who did not. (these studies are not be-all and end all but it's a strong data and and a very strong suggestion).

the position of hydroxyls are the more striking structural differences between these sugars.

Fructose is sweeter than glucose. The increased sweetness of the fructose is a feature of the five ring. It's is sweeter than all naturally occurring carbohydrates.

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