A doctor breaks down the rush, the crash, and why getting “sugar-high” is more complicated than it sounds.
In the Simpsons episode ‘Boy-Scoutz ‘n the Hood,’ Bart and Milhouse spend $20 on the Squishee—a milkshake that Apu loads up with syrup. From then on, as sugar wreaks havoc on their perception, they embark on a trip that resembles a sensory, chemical, and delirious high. But can sugar actually make you high? What does that feel like? How many innocent ice cream cones from McDonald’s, Burger King, Dairy Queen, or Sonic Drive-In would someone need to get “high” on sugar?
Santiago Gullino is a gastroenterologist specializing in endocannabinology and director of Conectar Med, a multidisciplinary project offering therapeutic support, scientific material production, and cannabis-related consulting. For him, the rush that Bart and Milhouse experience lies exclusively in the efficiency of the gut-brain axis.
“Ultra-processed ice cream isn’t just a treat; it’s a dopamine delivery technology designed to hack our biology. Upon first contact with the tongue and, subsequently, with the receptors in the gut, sugar triggers immediate signals to the nucleus accumbens. This dopamine release can rise up to 200% above baseline levels,” the expert explains.
Put simply, the brain has no filters for a glucose bomb as refined as a fast-food ice cream cone. It simply identifies it as a survival victory and rewards us with euphoria that, at a neurochemical level, is similar to the early-stage reward response seen with addictive substances. Now we can understand Bart and Milhouse. Theirs was a neurochemical shock.
In that sense, fast-food ice creams have a specific combination of fat and refined sugar that can enhance addiction more than sugar alone. “Ice cream combines refined sugar with saturated fats, creating what we in the industry call the ‘Bliss Point.’ This combination …
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Author: Hernán Panessi / High Times
