New Study Links Eating Sugar to Manic Behaviors

By Ghuman

Introduction

Recent studies have linked eating sugar to manic behaviors, suggesting that sugar may be a contributing factor to mental health issues. This is an important discovery, as it could help to explain why some people experience manic episodes and why certain diets may be beneficial for those with mental health issues. This article will explore the research that has been conducted on this topic and discuss the implications of this new information. It will also provide tips on how to reduce sugar intake and how to manage manic behaviors.

New Study Links Eating Sugar to Manic Behaviors

A new study has found a link between eating sugar and manic behaviors. The study, conducted by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, looked at the diets of over 1,000 people with bipolar disorder and found that those who ate more sugar were more likely to experience manic episodes.

The study found that people who ate more than 67 grams of sugar per day were more likely to experience manic episodes than those who ate less than that amount. The researchers also found that those who ate more sugar were more likely to have higher levels of mania symptoms, such as increased energy, racing thoughts, and decreased need for sleep.

The study’s lead author, Dr. Robert Yolken, said that the findings suggest that sugar may be a trigger for manic episodes in people with bipolar disorder. He noted that the study does not prove that sugar causes mania, but that it could be a contributing factor.

The findings are important because they suggest that people with bipolar disorder may be able to reduce their risk of manic episodes by reducing their sugar intake. Dr. Yolken noted that more research is needed to confirm the findings, but that the results are promising.

The study was published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.

By now, it is largely taken as gospel that overconsumption of sugar is among the most prevalent and insidious causes of weight acquire. Thanks partly to the lobbying of the meals trade, sugar consumption rose by 25 p.c between 1970 and 2000, in nearly precise parallel with the rise in high-fructose corn syrup manufacturing and weight problems, in keeping with a overview by the Union of Involved Scientists. By 2013, a overview of literature in PLOS Drugs had analyzed eighteen scientific conclusions drawn from systematic evaluations of research on the hyperlink between sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and weight acquire or weight problems. Amongst evaluations performed by scientists with none reported battle of curiosity, ten out of twelve discovered that sodas and different sugary drinks could possibly be a danger issue for weight acquire. Overconsumption of sugar has additionally been linked to well being circumstances that vary from most cancers danger to emotions of melancholy.

However a brand new examine revealed within the journal Evolution and Human Habits simply make clear some alarming new unintended effects hooked up to the overconsumption of sugary meals. The analysis from the College of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus means that sugar might play a key function in driving a number of manic behaviors, together with aggressive habits, bipolar dysfunction, and a focus poor hyperactivity syndrome (ADHD).

“We current proof that fructose, by reducing vitality in cells, triggers a foraging response just like what happens in hunger,” notes lead examine writer Richard Johnson, MD, professor on the College of Colorado Faculty of Drugs on the CU Anschutz Medical Campus.

That foraging response, the researchers write, might play a task in driving “risk-taking, impulsivity, novelty in search of, speedy determination making, and aggressiveness to help the securing of meals as a survival response. Overactivation of this course of from extra sugar consumption could trigger impulsive habits that might vary from ADHD to bipolar dysfunction and even aggression.”

The researchers argue that the drive to devour extra sugar is inherent in our brains as an evolutionary “pathway” that guarantee our survival. However given the entire obtainable sugar choices at our fingertips, this “survival pathway” is now on “overdrive.” That inherent response might contribute to the aforementioned issues—in addition to manic melancholy.

“Continual stimulation of the pathway might result in desensitization of hedonic responses and induce melancholy,” the examine concludes. “A hyperactive foraging response pushed by excessive glycemic carbohydrates and sugars could contribute to affective issues.”

The College of Colorado’s Johnson notes, “We don’t blame aggressive habits on sugar, however slightly observe that it could be one contributor.”

Think about this newest analysis but one more reason for reducing again in your sugar consumption. That can assist you accomplish that, we have compiled only a few of the meals you are consuming that you just had no thought had been excessive in sugar, beneath. So learn on, and for a extra full record of meals to keep away from, do not miss this eye-opening record of the 30 Worst Grocery Meals With the Most Sugar.

Bottled fruit juice
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For those who’re shopping for your smoothie from the drink part at your native fuel station, likelihood is, you are not precisely shopping for a fiber-rich drink stuffed with contemporary and nutritious fruits. In truth, most bottled smoothies haven’t got any satiating macronutrients and do not use any actual blended fruit. The smoothie producers typically use fruit juice concentrates and fruit purees to boost their candy sips, and people substances could be simply as damaging as excessive fructose corn syrup, an additive that has been stated to trigger elevated ranges of unhealthy ldl cholesterol, weight acquire, and stomach fats accumulation. This is the #1 smoothie trick that can assist you shed extra pounds.

Barbecue sauce
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All the time verify the label of any store-bought BBQ sauce, and watch out for any model that’s selling its “honey sweetness.” Candy Child Ray’s Honey Barbecue sauce, for example, accommodates a whopping 15 grams of sugar in 2 tablespoons!

cereal bars
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They appear so wholesome, however so typically, they are not. Not solely are these bars usually missing in satiating vitamins like fiber and protein, however sure manufacturers will trick you into pondering they’ve so much much less sugar than they do (i.e. many packages comprise two bars and never only one, however solely record the sugar content material of 1).

salad in bowl with dressing poured over top
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Sure bottled salad dressings are well-known sugar bombs. For those who’re attempting to remain wholesome and shed extra pounds, selecting a dressing that is marketed to be “fat-free” or “gentle” is the unsuitable transfer. So as to make up for the lack of taste supplied by fats, firms pack the bottles with chemical compounds, sodium, and—after all—sugar. So steer clear, and for extra meals to keep away from, see this record of The 100 Worst Meals on the Planet.