Sugar may be bad not only for your teeth and your waistline, but also your mental health, claimed a study that was met with scepticism by other experts.

Researchers at University College London (UCL) compared the reported sugar intake of more than 8,000 people in a long-term British study, to their mood.

The study participants, civil servants, were monitored from 1985-1988, and filled out a questionnaire every few years thereafter.

Researchers examined data from that study for an association between sugar intake and "common mental disorders" (CMD) such as anxiety and depression.

The UCL team found "an increased likelihood" for men with a higher intake of sweet foods and drinks to develop CMD after five years, and a general "adverse effect" on mental health for both sexes.

Source: Khaleej Times