Higher Sugar Intake Linked to Depression in Men

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Higher Sugar Intake Linked to Depression in Men

Men who have more than 67g of sugar per day – about the amount found in two cans of cola – could be increasing their risk of common mood disorders by 23% after 5 years, compared to those with consume less sugar, researchers say.
A study also says having a mood disorder does not make people more likely to eat foods high in sugar.

High Sugar Intake

Adults in Britain consume roughly twice the recommended level of added sugar in their diets, and previous studies have linked higher sugar consumption with an increased risk of depression.
The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, examines the association between sugar intake and common mood disorders.
The researchers, led by Dr Anika Knüppel from the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at University College London, analysed people’s sugar intake from sweet food and drinks and the occurrence of common mental disorders.
They explain that few studies have investigated ‘reverse causation’, referring to the possibility that a mood disorder could lead to higher sugar intake, which they wanted to explore.
For their study, they examined repeat measures of sweet food and drink consumption and mental health to look at the association between the two.
They used data from the Whitehall II cohort, a long-term study on health (and nowageing), using participants working at different levels in the UK’s civil service.
Of the 10,308 participants recruited in 1985, about two-thirds are men and one-third are women.
After the first wave of data collection, self-completed questionnaires and clinical data continued to be collected every 2 to 5 years.

Fizzy Drinks, Cakes and Biscuits

For their analysis, the researchers used data collected up to 2013 and included participants who reported their consumption of at least 8 of a list of 15 items of sweet foods and drinks such as cakes, biscuits, fizzy soft drinks and added sugar in coffee or tea.
Participants were divided into groups based on their daily sugar intake from sweet food and drinks.
For men, these were:
  • More than 67g
  • Between 67g and 39.5g
  • Less than 39.5g
For women, these were:
  • More than 51g
  • Between 30g and 51g
  • Less than 30g
Their analysis found that men in the top third group, who consumed the most sugar at more than 67g per day, were 23% more likely to have common mental health disorders after five years when compared to those in the bottom third group, who consumed less than 39.5g of sugar per day.
This finding was independent of other diet-related factors, health behaviours and socio-demographic characteristics such as marital status and pay grade.
The researchers say they could not find a similar observation among women, but this may be due to the lower number of female participants.
The researchers also conclude that from the results of their study, they “were able to exclude potential ‘reverse causation’ as the reason for the observed link between high sugar intake and low mood”. They explain that the associations observed in their analysis were not the result of changes in consuming sugary foods and drinks.
SOURCES:
Science Media Centre
UCL Department of Epidemiology and Public Health

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