ZAP’S FACTS!
BRAIN

Your brain uses 20% of your body's energy - even when you're resting.

It's only 2% of your weight but burns one fifth of all your fuel.

2 min read
Your brain uses 20% of your body's energy - even when you're resting.
THE FULL STORY

The human brain is one of the most energy-hungry organs in the body. It only weighs about 3 pounds - roughly 2% of your total body weight - but it consumes around 20% of all the energy you use. Even while you’re sitting completely still, your brain is gulping down calories at a steady pace.

Most of that energy is going to your neurons - about 86 billion of them, all firing electrical and chemical signals to each other every second of your life. Maintaining those signals takes a lot of fuel, and the brain is fussy about what fuel it uses. It runs almost entirely on glucose (a kind of sugar).

This is why feeling “hangry” is real. If your blood sugar drops, your brain starts running out of energy fast - and your mood and focus drop with it. It’s also why students nibble snacks during exams: a steady glucose supply helps the brain do its hardest work.

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