It is a classic that we see continuously in the movies and we repeat in our daily lives: who has not binged on sugar after a love disappointment, or has bought a huge greasy and chocolate-filled bun after a long and stressful day in the office?
Well, although it is true that in an initial moment the ingestion of sugar stimulates the production of dopamine and other neurotransmitters that make us feel good (not in vain it acts as one more drug that activates the reward system of our brain), in the middle term the effect produced is just the opposite. According to a scientific review published in the journal Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews , sugar does not put us in a good mood and, in addition, our alert levels decrease considerably one hour after consuming it. As if that were not enough, half an hour after the intake we feel more fatigued than before.
The authors of the work are researchers from different universities in Germany and the United Kingdom, and they have carried out a meta-analysis with data from 31 independent studies from which, together, results were obtained from 1259 participants.
“The idea that sugar puts us in a good mood is widespread in popular culture, and thousands of people around the world also consume sugary drinks to stay alert or combat fatigue,” explained Konstantinos Mantantzis, from Humboldt University from Berlin and leader of the investigation. However, the results were stark: the consumption of carbohydrates does not improve mood, and this effect is independent of the amount consumed and the type of activities that the volunteers carried out after their ingestion . “Our findings show that these urban legends are without foundation. In any case, consuming sugar, in the long run, will probably make you feel worse ”, concludes the researcher.
Sugar, a global epidemic
The negative effects of excess sugar in our diet are well known. Tooth decay, increased risk of diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure … the World Health Organization recommendations indicate that, in the adult population, the consumption of free sugars should not exceed 10% of daily calories. And if we do not exceed 5%, all the better. This, on a normal diet of about 2,000 calories, equates to about six dessert teaspoons. An amount that, on average, is widely exceeded by citizens of developed countries (let’s not forget that the one we add to coffee is not the only free sugar we consume, and that this is found, for example, in many processed foods, in honey and fruit juices).
“In recent years, rates of obesity, diabetes and metabolic syndrome have risen alarmingly, highlighting the need to develop evidence-based dietary strategies to promote a healthy lifestyle throughout life,” he explained. Sandra Sünram-Lea, researcher at Lancaster University (UK). “Our findings indicate that sugary drinks or snacks do not provide a quick refueling that makes us more alert and more focused .”
Reference: Mantantzis et al., 2019. Sugar rush or sugar crash? A meta-analysis of carbohydrate effects on mood. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews 101 (45-67)
