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Diets high in sugar may increase a person’s risk for developing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), bipolar disorder and aggressive behaviors, according to a report.

Sugar and Mental Health

The new report describes how high amounts of fructose found in refined sugars in the typical western diet may contribute to the development of behavioral disorders. Sugar does not cause these behaviors; it is just a contributing factor, researchers emphasized.

In the new report, researchers suggest that fructose, a component of sugar and high-fructose corn syrup, and uric acid, a fructose metabolite, may work to bring about the onset of these disorders in those genetically predisposed to them.

By lowering energy in cells, fructose “triggers a foraging response similar to what occurs in starvation,” which effectively stimulates behaviors such as risk taking, impulsivity, rapid decision making, and aggressiveness, the researchers said.

This foraging response shares similarities with behavioral disorders such as ADHD, as well as bipolar disorder and aggressive behavior.

Historically, animals and humans used this response for survival, understanding that they needed to take certain risks to obtain food and avoid starvation and death, researchers said. However, the survival pathway is now activated by the metabolism of fructose, leading to the storage of fat in the liver and blood, the development of insulin resistance and a decrease in energy expenditure.

The introduction of refined sugar and high-fructose corn syrup into the human diet has led to a significant increase in fructose intake over the past 300 to 400 years and researchers argue that this level of intake is higher than nature intended.

The report was published on October 16 in the journal “Evolution and Human Behavior.”

Sugar and Your Health

Americans average about 270 calories of sugar each day, that’s about 17 teaspoons a day, compared to the recommended limit of about 12 teaspoons per day or 200 calories.

Sugar can be harmful to your health in a myriad of ways:

1. Your brain: Eating sugar gives your brain a huge surge of a feel-good chemical called dopamine. Because whole foods like fruits and vegetables don’t cause the brain to release much dopamine, your brain starts to need more and more sugar to get that same feeling of pleasure.
2. Your mood: The occasional candy or cookie can give you a quick boost of energy by raising your blood sugar levels fast. When your levels drop as your cells absorb the sugar, you may feel jittery or anxious.
3. Your teeth: Bacteria that cause cavities love to eat sugar lingering in your mouth after you eat something sweet.
4. Your joints: Eating lots of sweets has been shown to worsen joint pain because of the inflammation they cause in the body.
5. Your liver: Fructose is processed in the liver and in large amounts can damage the liver. When fructose is broken down in the liver it is transformed into fat.
6. Your heart: When you eat excess sugar, the extra insulin in your bloodstream can affect arteries all over your body. It causes their walls to get inflamed, grow thicker than normal and stiffer; this stresses your heart and damages it over time.
7. Your pancreas: When you eat, your pancreas pumps out insulin. But if you’re eating too much sugar and your body stops responding properly to insulin, your pancreas starts pumping out even more insulin. Eventually, your overworked pancreas will break down and your blood sugar levels will rise, setting you up for type 2 diabetes and heart disease.    
8. Your body weight: The more sugar you eat, the more you’ll weigh. Research shows that people who drink sugar-sweetened beverages tend to weigh more and be at higher risk for type 2 diabetes than those who don’t.

The dietary guidelines for Americans recommend cutting back on added sugar, limiting it to no more than 10 percent of total daily calories.

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