Sweetness can lead to depression

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

We all know about the dangers of consuming too much sweets. Sugar spoils teeth, figure, collagen breaks down and wrinkles are formed. At the same time, we often try to get rid of a bad mood with a box of chocolates or a piece of cake. This is a big mistake, scientists warn. Desserts not only fail to reduce stress, but increase the risk of depression and exacerbate feelings of anxiety.

As researchers from Emory University have found, foods high in fructose alter the brain's response to stress, making it more acute.

Scientists conducted an experiment on rats: one group was fed regular foods, and the other - foods high in fructose. After 10 weeks, the animals were forced to swim or placed in a cascading maze, thereby creating stressful situations. As a result, it was noticed that the rats who ate high-fructose foods changed their genetic response to stress, produced more cortisol (a stress hormone), and the animals suffered from depression and anxiety, writes Meddaily.ru.

Recall that fructose is found not only in various confectionery and drinks, but also in fruits and vegetables. Increased intake of fructose is associated with diseases such as cancer, type 2 diabetes, dementia, heart, vascular and kidney disease.

It is worth noting that being highly sensitive to stress increases blood pressure, the risk of heart attack, stroke and infertility, suppresses the immune system, and accelerates the aging process.

By the way, recently American scientists have found that with the help of a balanced diet (low in fat and sweets, an abundance of vegetables and fruits), you can improve the emotional background. At the very least, people who try to adhere to the rules of a healthy diet are generally more optimistic about life.