The research compared the reported sugar intake of more than 8,000 people in a long-term British study.
According to UCL study, men who consume more sugar have a higher probability of developing common mental illnesses (including anxiety and depression) over the course of five years than men who consume less sugar. The study also shown that having a mood condition did not increase a person’s propensity to consume high-sugar meals.
The study, which was just published in Scientific Reports, examined, during a 22-year period between 1983 and 2013, the sugar intake from sweet foods and beverages and the development of common mental diseases in over 5000 men and over 2000 women.
Although earlier research indicated a link between higher added sugar intake and a higher incidence of depression, none looked at the possibility of “reverse causation.” The true cause of the apparent association between sugar intake and worse mental health might be explained by the tendency of persons with anxiety and/or depression to eat more sugary foods and beverages.
Men and women with mental problems were not more likely to eat more sugar, despite the study’s search for this connection in the data. As a result, there is more proof that consuming a lot of sugar has a negative impact on mental health.
The study divided daily sugar consumption (measured in grammes) from sweet foods and beverages into three groups of almost same size. In comparison to men in the bottom third who consumed less than 39.5 g, those in the top third who consumed more than 67 g had a 23% higher chance of experiencing common mental disorders after five years (regardless of health behaviours, sociodemographic and diet-related factors, adiposity, and other diseases). According to the 2013 National Diet and Nutrition Survey, males in the UK consume 68.4 grammes of added sugar on average per day (75 per cent from sweet foods and beverages).
In contrast to those with lower intakes, men and women with mood disorders and high sugar consumption also had a higher likelihood of experiencing depression again after 5 years, albeit this finding was not unrelated to other sociodemographic, health, and diet-related characteristics.
The research’s primary author, Anika Knüppel of the UCL Institute of Epidemiology and Public Health, said: “High sugar diets have a range of effects on our health, but our study suggests that there may also be a connection between sugar and mood problems, especially in men. There are several variables that might increase the likelihood of developing mood disorders, but consuming a lot of sugary foods and beverages may be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. It is unknown why the study did not discover a connection between sugar consumption and developing mood problems in women. To evaluate the sugar-depression impact in large population samples, more study is required.
“There is mounting evidence that sugar harms our health physically. Our research implies a further impact on mental health. This strengthens the case for policy changes like the new sugar charge in the UK, but few other European nations address this.
Adults in Britain and the U.S. consume around twice as much added sugar than is advised, with sweet foods and beverages accounting for three-quarters of intakes in both countries. By 2030, serious depression is expected to overtake all other types of impairment in high-income nations.
Sweet food has been shown to temporarily produce happy emotions, continued Knüppel. People who are feeling down may consume sweet meals in an effort to lift their spirits. According to our research, a high consumption of sugary foods is more likely to have a long-term negative impact on mental health.
“Our findings give even additional evidence that sugary meals and drinks are best avoided,” said senior author and Professor Eric Brunner of the UCL Institute of Epidemiology and Public Health. A positive development is the new sugar tax on soft drinks that will go into effect in April 2018. The commercial forces that take advantage of people’s “sweet appetite” ought to be restrained in order to safeguard the physical and mental health of the British people.
