According to a study from the University of California, consuming sugar-sweetened beverages such as juice or soda can reduce stress responses in the brain, Fox News reported. The study was published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
Scientists discovered that diet aspartame-sweetened drinks did not exhibit the same stress-relieving effect. Kevin D. Laugero, the author of the study, said that this is the first proof that eating large quantities of sugar, but not aspartame, may alleviate stress in people. He further said that the concern is emotional or psychological stress could lead to the habitual overconsumption of sugar and increase the detrimental health effects of sugar such as obesity.
Scientists looked at 19 female participants aged between 18 and 40 years. They asked eight participants to drink aspartame-sweetened beverages and 11 subjects to consume sugar-sweetened beverages over a period of 12 days. Scientists instructed the participants not to drink any other sugary drinks.
The subjects consumed these drinks at breakfast, lunch and dinner. They underwent functional MRI screening and performed math tests to demonstrate their brain's response to stress. The researchers also took saliva samples of subjects to test cortisol levels. Cortisol is a hormone made by the adrenalin glands that is vital for the body's response to stress.
The researchers found that female participants who consumed sugar-sweetened beverages showed a reduced cortisol response to the math test and more activity in the hippocampus (a part of the brain that is involved in memory processing) than participants who drank the artificially sweetened beverages.
Laugero said that the findings indicate that differences in dietary habits may explain why some individuals overreact to stressful conditions and others underreact. The author further said that a normal reaction to stress is vital to good health.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about half of the people in the United States consumes sugar drinks on any given day.