A new study has found that a “sugar rush” is not a real thing. In fact, your levels of fatigue after the consumption of carbohydrates increase within 30 minutes.
Researchers in the U.K. and Germany examined results from 31 different studies encompassing nearly 1300 adults and found that those who consumed carbohydrates experienced no positive mood changes. In comparison with those who were given a placebo, the carbohydrate consumers reported lower levels of alertness within 60 minutes of ingestion.
Related: How To Heal Your Gut
Not A Real Boy
Not only is the sugar rush not real, but there is evidence that regular sugar consumption can lead to higher incidences of depression and anxiety.
A long-term study of 8,000 British civil servants found that men who ate 67 grams or more of sugar daily in a five-year period were 23% more likely to be diagnosed with depression than men who ate 40 grams or less. None of these men had mental health issues before the study began, and the effect sugar had on their mental health remained even after researchers filtered out other possible causes of depression.
Sugar definitely doesn’t help with anxiety. Some of the physical side effects of sugar like blurry vision, difficulty thinking, and fatigue even mimic the signs of a panic attack. Your body is less able to deal with stress. An overactive serotonin system has been linked to social anxiety disorder, and sugar is a well-known serotonin booster. Rat studies have linked sugar consumption to anxiety as well.
Related: Sugar Leads to Depression – World’s First Trial Proves Gut and Brain are Linked (Protocol Included)
Reexamining Common Myths
People have more access to information than ever before. There’s an increased interest in knowing how our health works. With that, some of the most commonly held beliefs have been or need to be reexamined. We’ve all heard of the “sugar rush.” It’s not real, and you’re more likely looking at a long-term sugar crash.
Sources:
- No such thing as ‘sugar rush’! Sugar worsens mood rather than improving it – University of Warwick
- Sugar rush or sugar crash? A meta-analysis of carbohydrate effects on mood – Science Direct
- The Link Between Sugar And Depression: What You Should Know – Psychology Today
- 4 Ways Sugar Could Be Harming Your Mental Health – Psychology Today
- The Sugar-Anxiety Connection You Need To Know About – Mind Body Green
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