- Men who eat a high sugar diet had a 23% raised risk of a new mental disorder
- The same effect was no shown for women, found the University College London
- But excess sugar when you’re already depressed was bad news for both sexes
- The study showed men and women have higher risk of depression returning
- Most people consume at least twice the recommended daily sugar limits
Claudia Tanner For Mailonline
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Millions of men could be making themselves anxious and depressed by eating too much sugar, research suggests.
Males who eat more than 67g a day have a 23 per cent increased risk of developing the blues after five years.
The findings are concerning given the average man in the UK consumes an average 68.4g per day – more than double what is recommended (30g).
Intriguingly, the researchers did not find the same association with women.
Most people consume such high amounts of sugar largely due to it being added to processed foods, experts warn.
Men who consumed more than 67g a day had a 23% increased chance of developing a mental disorders after five years (file photo)
Lead author Dr Anika Knüppel from University College London said: ‘There are numerous factors that influence chances for mood disorders, but having a diet high in sugary foods and drinks might be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.’
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SUGAR FUELS VARIOUS FORMS OF CANCER
A sugar rich diet may be fuelling various forms of cancer, research confirms a long suspected belief.
Previous studies have suggested that tumours thrive off sugar, using it as energy to mutate and spread across the body.
Now scientists have shown one type of cancer – which can be found in the lungs, head and neck, oesophagus and cervix – has more of a sweet tooth than others.
Squamous cell carcinoma (SqCC) was more dependent on sugar to grow, University of Texas at Dallas experts found.
This form of the disease used higher levels of a protein that carries glucose to cells to enable them to multiply, they discovered.
Lead author Dr Jung-whan Kim said: ‘It has been suspected that many cancer cells are heavily dependent on sugar as their energy supply.
‘But it turns out that one specific type – squamous cell carcinoma – is remarkably more dependent.
‘This type of cancer clearly consumes a lot of sugar. One of our next steps is to look at why this is the case.’
Key findings
The researchers analysed data on the sugar intake and mental health of more than 5,000 men and 2,000 women between 1983 and 2013.
Men who consumed a high sugary diet – more than 67g a day – had a 23 per cent increased chance of developing a mental disorders after five years.
This was compared to those who had a low-sugar diet, who eat less than 39.5g a day.
Men in the UK consume an average 68.4 grams of added sugar per day, according to the National Diet and Nutrition survey – above the amount linked to mental problems in the study.
The study found no link between sugar intake and new mood disorders in women and researchers say it is unclear why.
It was found that both men and women with existing mood disorders and high sugar consumption had an increased chance of being depressed again after five years compared to those with lower intakes.
And for the first time, it was found that having a mood disorder did not make people more inclined to eat foods with a high-sugar content.
Dr Knüppel added: ‘Sweet food has been found to induce positive feelings in the short-term.
‘People experiencing low mood may eat sugary foods in the hope of alleviating negative feelings.
‘Our study suggests a high intake of sugary foods is more likely to have the opposite effect on mental health in the long-term.’
The report was published in the journal Scientific Reports.
‘It’s not proven’
However, the British Dietetic Association were not convinced of the study’s claims.
Spokesperson and registered dietitian Catherine Collins said: ‘Whilst the findings as reported are interesting, analysis makes it impossible to justify the bold claims made by the researchers about sugar and depression in men.
‘More surprising is the lack of reported effect in women, who have a far more emotional relationship with food.
‘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.’
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