Eating a diet high in fructose as a teenager makes depression and anxiety worse, scientists found.

 

It also alters how the brain response to stress, they said. 

 

Fructose is a sugar found naturally in fruits and vegetables but is also added to processed foods and drinks - from biscuits to ice cream.

 

Scientists have found fructose appears to be linked to serious modern epidemics¹ such as cancers, heart disease, hypertension, kidney damage, type 2 diabetes² and even dementia.

 

But now researchers say it also stimulates³ pathways in the brain that affect how it responds to stress, which have important effects for behaviour.

 

It can worsen the symptoms related to depression and anxiety, they said.

 

These effects are particularly concerning during the teenage years, when a person's stress response develops.

 

If the body's stress response becomes too sensitive, teenagers risk growing up susceptible⁴ to high levels of stress.

 

Prolonged exposure to stress can raise blood pressure, suppress the immune system, increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, contribute to infertility⁵, and speed up the aging process.

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