Sweet tooth link to depression

MILLIONS of sweet-toothed British men could be making themselves anxious and depressed by consuming too much sugar, a study suggests.

Scientists found that men who consumed more than 67 grams of sugar per day increased their risk of mood disorders by more than a fifth compared with those with an intake of less than 39.5 grams.

Since the average British man has a 68.4 gram per day sugar habit, the findings do not bode well for the mental health of the UK male population.

The study ruled out the possibility that the results can be explained by unhappy men comforting themselves with sugary treats.

Lead researcher Dr Anika Knuppel, from University College London’s Institute of Epidemiology and Health, said: “High sugar diets have a number of influences on our health but our study shows that there might also be a link between sugar and mood disorders, particularly among men.

“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. There is increasing evidence for the physical damage sugar has on our health. Our work suggests an additional mental health effect.”

The study which looked at thousands of civil servants of both sexes found no link between sugar intake and new mood disorders in women.

The results appear in the journal Scientific Reports.