A large body of research has emerged over the years that shows a healthy diet is connected with positive mental health, and a significant portion of that research also shows the opposite (poor diet is connected to poor mental health).
One particular area of diet that seems to be the most alarming is sugar. This includes sweets, soft drinks, desserts, added sugar in drinks, and so on.
Here are 3 studies published within the last few months that show a connection between sugar consumption and mental health:
A group of Spanish and English researchers found in a study involving over 15,000 university graduates that the group of participants with the highest consumption of added sugars also had a higher risk of depression. Likewise, those with the highest carbohydrate quality index were 30% less likely to experience depression compared to the group with the poorest CQI.
A group of British researchers discovered in a study of over 23,000 people that there seemed to be a strong connection between those who ate a lot of sweet foods and beverages and those who had common mental disorder or depression. Specifically, they found that sugar intake was connected to common mental disorder in men and recurrent depression in women.
Another groups of British researchers noted in a study of over 10,000 participants that the more sugar that men consumed, the more likely it was that they’d experience depression.
These 3 studies join a growing body of research showing a strong connection between nutrition and mental health. Here at Truehope, we’ve been promoting nutrition as mental health treatment for over 20 years.