> "The report, published today in Scientific Reports used data from the Whitehall II cohort and analysed the sugar intake from sweet food and beverages and occurrence of common mental disorders in over 5000 men and over 2000 women for a period of 22 years between 1983 and 2013"
I don't eat refined sugar because it is harmful. However, I wonder how the study accounted for the MANY changes that took place between 1983 and 2013. Sugar consumption has gone up, so has US inflation, less overall exercise, social media consumption, and a variety of other possible negative factors.
I don't understand this complaint. The study didn't look at a total rise in sugar consumption and a total rise in mental disorders over this period and just lazily guess that they were linked.
The claim is that, within the sample, those who consumed more sugar were more likely to have mental disorders, "independent of health behaviours, socio-demographic and diet-related factors, adiposity and other diseases".
> The study found no link between sugar intake and new mood disorders in women and it is unclear why.
This, plus the fact that many socio-economic realities changed over the course of the study, makes it hard to believe there aren't other confounders at play here.
I don't eat refined sugar because it is harmful. However, I wonder how the study accounted for the MANY changes that took place between 1983 and 2013. Sugar consumption has gone up, so has US inflation, less overall exercise, social media consumption, and a variety of other possible negative factors.