A new study finds that eating too much sugar can increase long-term risk of mental health disorders.
Researchers found that those who consume more than 67 grams of sugar daily from sweetened foods and beverages were much more likely to develop anxiety, depression, and other common mental disorders after 5 years, compared with those with a lower daily sugar intake.
Researchers have also suggested that this association may be down to “reverse causation.”
“Reverse causation is the possibility that a mood disorder may lead to higher sugar intake, so that the diet-mental health association is wholly or partly the result of poor mental health rather than of high sugar intake,” the researchers explained.
People experiencing low mood may eat sugary foods in the hope of alleviating negative feelings as the sweet food has the ability to induce positive feelings in the short-term. But according to the study; high intake of sugary foods is more likely to have the opposite effect on mental health in the long-term.
We should move away from eating sugary foods to boost our mood, as it may do more harm than good.
