Sugary beverages may help to cut stress, new research claims

Researchers found that the women who consumed them had diminished levels of the hormone cortisol in their saliva

Could sugary drinks help to reduce stress? (Rex)

Busy workers who turn to sweet drinks and snacks for a quick sugar fix may well feel a pang of guilt for making a habit of their indulgence. But according to new research, reaching for a sugary beverage may help to reduce stress.

In a small study, researchers assigned 11 participants to drink beverages with high sugar content and eight to consume aspartame-sweetened alternatives. Researchers discovered that the women who had been consuming sugar-sweetened beverages had diminished levels of cortisol in their saliva, a hormone produced by the adrenal glands that is essential for the body’s response to stress.

“This is the first evidence that high sugar – but not aspartame – consumption may relieve stress in humans,” said Dr Kevin Laugero of the University of California.