Examining the non-linear relationship between sugar consumption and anxiety symptoms in UK biobank data.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a common psychiatric condition. The role of sugar in emotional health is becoming more apparent. This cross-sectional study investigated the potential non-linear associations of sugar on GAD and identified thresholds that would be associated with GAD if these non-linear associations were significant, using the UK Biobank.

Method

A sample of 84,087 subjects was included. Total energy and sugar consumption were calculated using Oxford WebQ. Total sugar, glucose, fructose, maltose, and sucrose as dietary exposure. The Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) questionnaire was used to measure anxiety symptoms. The non-linear relationship between sugar and GAD scores was examined using generalized additive models (GAMs).

Results

SUBMITTER: Yang X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12918462 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature