Highlights
- High sugar intake has long been tied to triggering health issues
- Excessive sugar consumption may lead to obesity
- A group of experts have linked high sugar intake with anxiety
Experts from the University College London recently conducted a study that linked high sugar consumption with the development of anxiety and depression in people. Close to 8,000 people were studied for a period of 3 years to monitor and examine their sugar intake and its correlation with their psychological and cognitive health. The research concluded and recommended low sugar intake for better mental health. A set of health experts seem to differ with the researchers at the University College London, "reducing intake of free sugars is good for your teeth, and may be good for your weight, too. But as protection against depression? It's not proven," Catherine Collins of the British Dietetic Association was quoted on Science Media Centre.
"While the authors have tried to adjust for the effects of social factors there still is a risk of residual confounding," noted Prof. Tom Sanders, Professor Emeritus of Nutrition and Dietetics, King's College London.
Dr. Rob Howard, Professor of Old Age Psychiatry, UCL explained, "This study is important because it is the first to be able to show that an increase in risk of about a quarter in common mental disorders, mostly mild anxiety and depression, in men who eat the most sugar cannot be explained by those who were already anxious or depressed using sugar as a form of comfort".
While the medical fraternity seems to stand divided on the effects of high sugar intake on mental health, some of the other adverse effects of excessive sugar consumption on dental health have clearly been underlined. High sugar consumption has long been linked to triggering issues like obesity and metabolic ailments like high blood sugar, cardiovascular diseases and type-2 diabetes. The American Heart Association recommends not more than 37gms of sugar for men and 25gms for women; this would translate to roughly 9 and 6 teaspoons of sugar respectively.
If you happen to be a lover of all things sweet it is about time that you deployed stringent measures to curb your sugar craving. Keep these tips handy:
- Opt for alternative, natural sweeteners like jaggery, honey, figs, dates, et cetera.
- The only way to cut down sugar is to slowly taper it down and not stop it completely. If you put three sugar cubes in your tea, cut down by one and try to stick to it.
- If you crave something sweet reach out for naturally sweet items like fruits.
- A range of processed and packaged products have "hidden sugar" that can easily be avoided. Monitor your daily consumption of items like ketchup, condiments, et cetera.
- Always have small, frequent meals to fight untimely hunger pangs and cravings.
Get in touch with a certified nutritionist to help you understand the role of sugar in your daily diet, how much is really enough and what are the best sources to derive some sweetness in your daily meals.