Recent research conducted by the Universities of Lancaster and Warwick in the UK in collaboration with Humboldt University in Berlin and published in Neurosciencie & Biobehavioral Reviews has shown that sugar increases tiredness and decreases alertness in people about an hour after consumption.
The study researchers used data collected from a total of 31 published studies on more than a thousand adults to analyze the effect of sugar on different aspects of mood, such as anger, alertness, fatigue or depression.
At the same time, it was also evaluated how the amount and type of sugar consumed could affect mood in any way and whether any difference was found when performing mental and physical activities that required certain demands.
The higher the sugar intake, the lower the level of alertness.
Thus, they found that sugar consumption had virtually no effect on mood, regardless of the amount of sugar consumed.
In turn, people who consumed sugar felt more tired and less alert than those who did not consume sugar.
One of the lead authors of the study, Professor Elizabeth Maylor, comments that the research team hopes that their contributions will help to strengthen public health policies aimed at reducing sugar consumption.
The study’s director, Dr. Konstantinos Mantantzis claims that the idea that sugar had an impact on mood was widely entrenched in popular culture, so much so that sugary drinks are consumed around the world to combat fatigue or to appear more alert. “Our research and findings point out that these claims are unsubstantiated. If anything, sugar will make them feel worse.”
Dr. Sandra Sünram-Lea, author of the research points out that the increase in obesity, diabetes and metabolic syndrome in recent decades is evidence that new strategies to promote a healthy lifestyle are needed.
The results indicate that sugary drinks or snacks are not a “refueling” as previously believed, but rather the opposite.
For more information, please consult a specialist in Nutrition and Dietetics.