Study Finds Some Of The Happiest People Start Their Day With A Sweet Treat
Migma__Agency | ShutterstockAdult breakfast can be pretty boring. Maybe an egg or a piece of toast spices up the coffee as you dash out the door, but for the most part, it's all about shoving some protein down the gullet to help get through the day.
Maybe it shouldn't be, though. What if a sweet treat in the morning could actually improve your mental health? Put down the Lucky Charms; let's not go overboard. A study published in the British Journal of Nutrition found that some of the happiest people make it a point to enjoy fruit juice and fruit smoothies as part of their daily meals. That means the morning OJ isn't just for kids and vacation breakfasts anymore.
A study found there are real mental health benefits to incorporating fruit juice into your diet.
Researchers found that when paired with a balanced diet, people who incorporate one daily serving of fruit juice or a smoothie not only help adults eat more fruit overall but may also improve their mood.
Look, eating an apple is one thing. Drinking a glass of apple juice is almost unheard of when it comes to adults. But as it turns out, the sugary juice isn't the villain of the adult diet that it's been made out to be.
The research focused on adults already falling short of the 5-a-day recommendation, which calls for five servings of fruits and vegetables daily. Only around 17% of adults meet that goal.
However, when those fruit-deprived adults started adding juice and fruit smoothies to their morning routines, they scored notably lower on a standard depression symptom questionnaire than other participants in the study. Is it the increase in fruit consumption or the fact that adults are enjoying something that tastes good in the morning instead of just coffee and dry toast? The research didn't specify, but really, does it matter?
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While the juice group in the study did end up consuming more sugar, putting them in the same category as the sugar added to soda, it didn't translate into any unhealthy changes over the weeks they were being tracked by researchers. The findings suggest that consuming sugar in the form of fruit juice and indulging in a little sweet treat might be a helpful factor for people experiencing negative emotions.
There's a link between sugar consumption and dopamine in our brains.
A study published in the journal Science involved researchers working with mice to better understand why people tend to crave sweet treats. The scientists found that when the mice were eating a high-sugar diet, the neurons released an endorphin that triggered a feeling of reward.
Researchers found the same reaction within humans who were eating sweets. There's also been a link between sugar consumption and the dopamine system in our brains.
"When we taste something sweet, it's not just the sugar we're consuming — it's triggering a system in the brain that associates that sweet taste with pleasure, which makes us want to keep eating," said Dr. Paule Joseph, a researcher who studies metabolism at the National Institutes of Health. While indulging in a sweet treat can make someone extremely happy, it's definitely better to consume it in moderation.
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On average, U.S. adults take in 17 teaspoons of added sugar per day. Sweetened beverages and bakery products are at the top of the list. Experts warn that eating too much sugar can impact a person's health in the worst way, including heart health in particular. As long as there is a balance of eating sweets, then there's nothing wrong with enjoying them.
A smoothie, some kind of fruit juice, or even a small pastry in the morning can definitely lead to being in a happier mood, as proven by the study. Finding a balance is key, but it doesn't mean that sweets need to be axed from your diet altogether.
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor's degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.
