According to the National Nutrition Survey 2011-12 (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2016), Australians have an average sugar intake of 14 teaspoons or 60g of sugar daily. This amount is two times more than the World Health Organization’s recommended daily sugar intake of 6 teaspoons or 25g. Sugar intake in these surveys includes added sugars to food products and natural sugars, such as from fruits.
We are consuming excessive amounts of sugar, but is that bad for our mental health?
In 2024, Xiong and other researchers from medical and psychological science backgrounds conducted a statistical review of all the relevant current literature on the association between sugar consumption and risk of anxiety and depression. It was discovered that total dietary sugary consumption was significantly associated with increased risk of depression in the general population, but interestingly not for anxiety (Xiong et al., 2024).
Food for thought. If you are interested in exploring your mental health, the Centre for Clinical Psychology has a range of psychologists with different specialties to suit your needs. Please call….
References
Australian Bureau of Statistics (2016). 4364.0.55.011 – Australian Health Survey: Consumption of added sugars, 2011-12. https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/by%20Subject/4364.0.55.011~2011-12~Main%20Features~Added%20Sugars%20and%20Free%20Sugars~7
Xiong, J., Wang, L., Huang, H., Xiong, S., Zhang, S., Fu, Q., Tang, R. and Zhang, Q (2024). Association of sugar consumption with risk of depression and anxiety: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Front. Nutr. 11:1472612. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2024.1472612
World Health Organization (2015). Guideline: sugars intake for adults and children. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241549028
