Illustration of sugar
London - Researchers at University College London (UCL). as quoted from the Antara news page, comparing reports of sugar intake by more than 8,000 people in long-term research in the UK with their moods.
Participants who are civil servants, monitored during 1985-1988, and fill out questionnaires every every few years. Researchers analyzed study data studying the relationship between sugar intake and "general mental disorders" (CMD) such as anxiety and depression.
The UCL team found men who ate more sweet foods and drinks were more likely to suffer from mental disorders after five years.
They concluded, in a study published in the journal Scientific Reports, that "lower sugar intake could be associated with better psychological health." But nutritionist Catherine Collins, spokesman for the British Dietetic Association, said that the results were "unproven".
The problem is that the amount of sugar consumed by the participants is self-reported and the sugar intake from alcohol is not counted. The researchers, he said, seem to confuse natural sugars from food ingredients such as milk and sugar added to hot drinks or sweets.
"Reducing sugar intake is very good for teeth, and it may also be good for weight, but as a protection against depression? Not proven," Collins said.
Tom Sanders nutrition experts agree the results must be interpreted "carefully". "From a scientific point of view it is difficult to see how sugar in food is different from other carbohydrate sources in mental health because they are broken down into simple sugars in the intestine before being absorbed," he said.