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Will Excess Sugar Make You Moody?

Jun 15, 2011 | By Bettina Drew
Will Excess Sugar Make You Moody?
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Frosted donuts, gelato scoops, holiday cookies and blended coffee drinks may taste sweet on the tongue, but high doses of sugar can spell bad news for your waistline---and your mood. Not all experts agree, but some nutritionists and researchers conclude that excess sugar can make you moody by playing on the serotonin levels in your brain, according to Natural Ways. Varying levels of serotonin can influence moodiness. Examine your diet for hints of excess sugar intake, because reducing sugar levels might keep you feeling more even-keeled. Nutrition isn't the only factor influencing mood, however. Sleep and exercise also contribute, according to the same source.

Affecting Mood

Sugar cravings can happen thanks to imbalances related to the insulin hormone, according to Toronto-based nutritionist Sofia Segounis in the Homeakers.com article, "10 Ways to Kick Sugar Cravings." Consuming excess amounts of sugar urges your body to secrete additional insulin, since insulin acts to transform sugar into energy for your body. Sugar rushes can make you feel energetic quickly, but then energy levels tumble along with your blood sugar level. Consistently maintaining high blood sugar levels leads your body to rely on regular sugar influxes, according to the same source.

Insulin Imbalances

Insulin imbalances contribute to moodiness and fatigue, weakening your immune system as you cycle from high blood sugar levels and energy to low blood sugar levels and energy, according to Homemakers.com. Because sugar converts quickly into blood sugar, rapid bursts of energy are followed by mood slumps. Refined carbohydrate consumption, including sugar, can boost levels of the amino acid tryptophan that contribute to serotonin production, according to Natural Ways. In that sense, excess sugar consumption leads to cycles of mood boosts and drops.

Appropriate Amounts

In 2009, the American Heart Association recommended that most women should consume no more than 100 calories of added sugar each day, according to LJWorld.com article, "Excess Sugar Consumption Linked to Health Problems." The term "added sugar" doesn't take into account naturally-occurring sugar, such as the sugar present in fruits. Examples that could lead to excess sugar intake include table sugar, honey and syrups. To think about this recommendation in a different way, 100 calories of added sugar translates to six teaspoons or 24 grams of sugar. That's less than what typically occurs in a can of soda, which might contain 8 teaspoons or more of added sugar. The recommendation for men includes 150 calories of added sugar, which equals 9 teaspoons or 36 grams. For the sake of comparison, the average American consumes about 22 teaspoons of added sugar daily.

Other Effects

Moodiness isn't the only problem with excess sugar. Too much sugar consumption might also lead to heart disease, obesity and hypertension, according to Kansas State University researcher Karen Hudson in the LJWorld.com article, "Excess Sugar Consumption Linked to Health Problems." Diets high in sugar tend to lack nutrients.

Counterargument

Not all researchers conclude that excess sugar can make you moody. In a 1983 study published in "Psychosomatics," researchers Stuart Brody and David Wolitzky found that subjects who consumed excess sugar didn't report moodiness more than subjects who consumed saccharin or water. The study contained 53 subjects divided into three groups who consumed sugar, saccharin or water and then completed a self-diagnostic mood survey.

References

Article reviewed by Molly Solanki Last updated on: Jun 15, 2011

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