High Sugar Intake Tied to Increased Risk for Depression

TOPLINE:

Higher dietary intake of sugar is associated with an increase in depression, even after adjusting for potential confounders, results from a new study showed.

METHODOLOGY:

• The study was based on the data from 18,400 participants who completed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Health and Nutrition Examination survey between 2011 and 2018.
• Over the course of two interviews administered 3-10 days apart, investigators gathered information on daily sugar intake based on the sum of sugar content in all foods and beverages consumed in the past 24 hours and depression levels based on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 items (PHQ-9).
• Investigators also gathered data on covariates relating to age, sex, and health history.

TAKEAWAY: 

• A crude statistical model showed that dietary sugar intake was positively correlated with depression (odds ratio [OR], 1.17; P < .001).
• After adjusting for all covariates, investigators found that the incidence of depression increased by 28% for every 100 g/d increase in sugar intake (OR, 1.28; P < .001).
• Participants who consumed the most amount of sugar each day had a 33% higher risk for depression (OR, 1.33; P = .003) than those who consumed the least.
• While the mechanisms underlying the association between dietary sugar intake and depression are uncertain, one possibility is that a high-sugar diet can disrupt the gut microbiota, leading to depression.

IN PRACTICE:

The study authors wrote that government guidelines promoting a healthy lifestyle “can help promote cognitive and behavioral changes in the general public that can improve eating habits, reduce dietary sugar intake, and enhance overall mental health, thus preventing depression.”

SOURCE:

Lu Zhang, of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Jinan, China, led the study, which was published online on February 8, 2024, in BMC Psychiatry.

LIMITATIONS:

The study could not prove causality, and PHQ-9 was not suitable for diagnosing clinical depression. Also, it was not possible to determine whether depression influenced food choice and vice versa.

DISCLOSURES:

The study was funded by the Shandong Province Traditional Chinese Medicine Science and Technology Project. No disclosures were reported.