I have always enjoyed the chicken versus egg question. Which came first? One chicken or egg question I hear quite frequently, in my line of work, is the sugar or depression question.
Was it the depression that, through the act of self-medication, caused increased sugar to be consumed? Or was it the act of eating sugar that caused the depression?
It seems this chicken or egg question has been answered by a recent study, titled the Whitehall II study. A research team from the University College of London collected data on over 10,000 men and women over the course of 30 years.
Their analysis compared amounts of sugar intake with the time of the diagnosis of depression or other mood disorders.
According to their data, high sugar-intake caused the changes in mental function that we call depression and mood disorders.
I would be very slow to hang my hat on one study.
However, it does, once again, place emphasis on the fact that a diet high in sugar can be detrimental far beyond concerns of the waistline.
Next time you're feeling down, and feel the need to self-medicate, go for a walk outside or play a game with a loved one. The side effects of this form of self-medication have benefits that far outweigh any risks.
Read the original here:
Study touches on how diet high in sugar might affect mood - Idaho State Journal
