Buzz
A recent study suggests that while sweet treats are linked to depression in men, women don’t show the same correlation. Does sugar have a special knack for bringing men down? Probably not. Let's dive deeper.
The Headline: Too Much Sugar May Be Tied to Depression in Men, Poor Souls (Science of Us)
The Story: This research is part of a larger project examining mood and well-being in overweight individuals. Several past studies have hinted at a connection between sugar consumption and depression—like this one, which found that students who eat lots of junk food are more likely to feel depressed… or is it the other way around?
The latest study, published in Scientific Reports, examined a long-term study of British office workers to determine whether depressed individuals were just reaching for comfort foods. In that case, depression would appear first, followed by an increase in sugar cravings. They didn’t find any such pattern, though.
When they investigated whether sugary foods might directly cause depression, the evidence was inconclusive. While men with higher sugar consumption had a greater risk of depression, the study found no clear link when they asked a lot of questions. For example, two separate questionnaires were used to assess depression, and at different times, one found a connection, while the other did not. Interestingly, those with the highest sugar intake were also the least likely to be overweight, which contradicts what we usually know about sugar and obesity.
The study also had twice as many men as women, which could explain the gender disparity in the results. It’s possible that sugar affects both men and women, but with too few women in the study, this wasn’t confirmed. Or perhaps the result in men is just a random occurrence, and there’s no actual link. Studies that ask a wide range of questions, like this one, often produce results by chance, which wouldn’t necessarily hold in a larger, more targeted study. That might be what we’re seeing here.
The Takeaway: This study suggests there might be a connection between sugar and depression, and it could be stronger in men. But it certainly didn’t prove it.
