A new study conducted by Auckland University of Technology has found a direct link between psychological stress (stress), anxiety and the difficulty of quitting sugar.
Rimki Biker, a researcher in psychology and neuroscience, said that people who had high levels of stress and anxiety before trying to quit sugar were more likely to face difficulties stopping their consumption of sweets. In the study, 203 participants were monitored over 14 days and provided the team with information 5 times a day about their psychological state and their cravings for sweets.
According to the study’s results, people who had previously consumed larger amounts of sugar, or who lacked confidence that they could control their eating, experienced more difficulties than others when trying to quit.
Nearly 1 in 3 participants managed to avoid sugar completely during the 2-week period. The others, who were unable to avoid it entirely, managed to reduce their intake, consuming sugar or sweets on average on only 2 days out of 14.
The researcher stresses that eating sugar should not be regarded as a failure, even if it happens once. Biker says: “It is important not to feel that we are successful only if we manage to quit sugar completely; instead, we should also regard being able to reduce it significantly as a success.”
