How Does Sugar Affect My Mood?
Most of us know that sugar can affect our energy levels in both good and bad ways. It can give us a boost when we’re feeling tired, but it can also lead to a huge energy crash just an hour after its consumption.
The effects of sugar have been clearly displayed in a range of studies, and most of the research suggests that sugar isn’t the best thing for our physical or mental health. If you are looking for motivation to reduce your sugar intake, here are three reasons why it’s time to enjoy the sweet stuff only in moderation.
Mood Disorders, Depression, and Anxiety
Studies suggest that consuming a diet that is high in simple sugars can increase the risk of mood disorder development in men and women. It can also increase the risk of depression and anxiety disorders, especially when combined with other poor lifestyle behaviors, like a lack of adequate exercise.
Resilience to Stress
Sugar may also reduce your ability to deal with life’s many stressors. Many of us can relate with the tendency to reach for high-sugar foods when you’re feeling down. If you’re upset or you’ve had a particularly stressful day, you probably crave a sweet chocolate bar or a dish (or two!) of ice cream.
There’s something comforting about these sugar-rich foods that seems to calm our minds. But this calming effect is only temporary, and just an hour or two later, you will feel even worse than you did before.
In the long-term, reliance on sugary foods to cope with stress can lead to a decrease in your resilience to stress by causing chronically high cortisol levels.
Withdrawal Symptoms
Studies suggest that there is a huge overlap in the way withdrawal from drugs and withdrawal from sugar manifests. When you cut out the sugar, it can lead to increased anxiety, headaches, irritability, and fatigue.
If you plan to reduce your sugar intake, it’s best not to quit cold turkey. Instead, slowly wean yourself off simple sugars and replace these foods with foods that are rich in complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, and lean protein.