How Sugar Affects the Brain is a TED-Ed lesson that I stumbled upon this evening while looking for a YouTube video about making sugar glazes (by the way, this is the one I was looking for).  In the TED-Ed lesson students learn why sugary foods and beverages can become addictive and how the human body processes sugar. The video is embedded below.

Untamed Science offers a similar video lesson in which we learn why so many of us crave sugar and sweet things. The video is embedded below.

Applications for Education
After watching the videos to learn why we crave sugar and what it does to our bodies, have students take a look at their personal sugar consumption habits. Sugar Stacks is a good website for understanding how much sugar is in the food and beverages that we consume. Sugar Stacks lists popular food and beverage items in ten categories. Every item is pictured with a stack of sugar cubes. Each sugar cube represents four grams of sugar. This is a great way to see just how much sugar you really consume in your favorite snack or beverage.