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Research Sweets promote fears and depression in men
Many men and women like to eat chocolate. Researchers now found that consuming chocolate in men can cause health problems. There is no talk of overweight and obesity, but chocolate can cause anxiety and depression in men.
Researchers at University College London found in their study that consuming chocolate in men can lead to anxiety and depression. This is due to the high sugar content of chocolate. The physicians published the results of their study in the scientific journal "Scientific Reports".
When men consume many sugary foods, such as chocolate, they increase the likelihood of developing mental illness. Researchers found that such men are more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety. (Image: picsfive / fotolia.com) Most men consume too much sugar every day
If men consume more than 67 grams of sugar a day, their risk of mood disorders increases by more than a fifth, compared to men with sugar consumption of less than 39.5 grams, the experts explain. The average British man consumes about 68.4 grams of sugar per day. The experts excluded the possibility that the results of the study could be explained by the fact that unfortunate men consoled themselves with a large amount of sugary treats.
There is a link between sugar and mood disorders
A high sugar diet has a number of effects on our health. The study shows that there is a link between sugar and mood disorders, especially in men, explains author Dr. Anika Knüppel. However, there are many factors that influence the likelihood of mood disorders. The researchers found no association between sugar intake and mood disorders in women.
Subjects with high sugar intake had more mental disorders
The results of the current study are based on the data from the so-called Whitehall II study, which dealt with physical and psychological problems. Sugar consumption was compared with the most common mental disorders in more than 5,000 men and 2,000 women between 1983 and 2013. Participants in the study were divided into three different groups based on daily sugar intake. After five years, participants in the group, the most sugar-consuming men, developed 23 percent more mental disorders (such as depression or anxiety). The men in this group consumed more than 67 grams of sugar per day. People with the least amount of sugar consumed less than 39.5 grams per day.
The consumption of sweet foods conveys positive feelings?
Sweet foods can induce positive feelings in the short term. There may actually be people who consume sugary foods in the hope that they will be able to alleviate their negative feelings, say the authors. However, our study suggests that high intake of sugary foods in the long run tends to have the opposite effect on mental health, the experts add.
Sugary foods and drinks should be avoided
Our findings provide further evidence that sugary foods and drinks should be best avoided, explains author Professor Eric Brunner. "The physical and mental health of the British people deserve some protection from the commercial forces that abuse human desire for sweets," the expert adds in a press release from University College London. (As)