Stress or fatigue Is glucose really helpful in concentrating?

Health myths: Grape sugar boosts concentration?
Whether at school, in the lecture hall or in the office: Almost all people have to do a lot of mental work. Especially when then tricky tasks or even important tests are pending, some resort to glucose, which is supposed to promote concentration. Is that true??

Can glucose promote concentration??
Some people who struggle with fatigue, stress or difficulty concentrating on the job, at university or at school often turn to grape sugar. This is considered as food for the brain and should provide energy and promote concentration. But is that true? Yes and no. Dietician Susanne Kupczyk from the Interdisciplinary Center for Metabolism at the Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin explains in a message from the dpa news agency that the assumption is basically "already correct". "But it's more about carbohydrates," which in the body all to glucose - ie glucose - are degraded. "The brain then takes its part."

Who has tricky tasks to do in the job or is in the study before important tests, sometimes grape sugar to increase the concentration. Does that really help? (Image: Patrick Daxenbichler / fotolia.com)

Energy is provided quickly
According to experts, our brain consumes 20 percent of the total energy that we metabolize from ingested food and burns 20 grams of glucose every day (glucose). Since the glucose in the brain can not be stored, as in the muscles, it is dependent on a stable blood sugar level. If this falls off, concentration and ability to think disappear. If we take simple sugars, for example in the form of chocolates or grape sugar candies, this initially causes the blood sugar level to skyrocket. Energy is provided faster. "But it is also used up quickly and you get into a performance low," explains Kupczyk.

For children completely unsuitable
According to the dietician, it would be better to have four to six small meals with complex carbohydrates (whole grains, rice, potatoes or pasta) during the day when working on stress - this is how you prevent the loss of energy. For some people, glucose is not recommended anyway, other experts say. As the consumer center writes on its website: "The ability of glucose to get into the blood quickly, can be useful for athletic excellence." But: "For playing children, he is completely unsuitable because he only" calories "empty and delivers the rapid processing and resulting blood sugar fluctuations may trigger food cravings. "(ad)