Why Sugar Affects Your Mood and What To Eat Instead
Why Blood Sugar Balance Matters for Mood, Stress, and Emotional Resilience
Written By: Roxane Shymkiw
Let’s talk about sugar.
We know it’s in soda, candy, baked goods, cereal, and flavoured drinks, but it can also be found hidden in “healthier” foods like ketchup, pasta sauce, salad dressings, yogurt, nut butters, and protein bars. There are over 60 commonly used names for sugar—corn syrup, fruit juice concentrate, agave nectar, cane juice, malt sugar, dextrose, fructose, maltose, sucrose… I think you’re getting the picture. No matter what it’s called, sugar is sugar, and in excess, it can negatively affect your mood. Sugar is rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream, which can lead to a quick burst of energy, but if we eat too much, our blood sugar spikes and then crashes, leaving us jittery, anxious, irritable, fatigued, and unable to concentrate. Over time, high sugar consumption fuels inflammation that can alter your brain neurochemistry and mess with your ability to regulate your moods.
So, what’s going on in the body?
When we eat foods high in sugar, they are quickly broken down into glucose and absorbed into the bloodstream. The brain gets a surge of dopamine, the feel-good chemical associated with pleasure and reward, giving us a burst of energy, excitement, and feelings of satisfaction and wanting more. Sugar activates the brain’s reward centres, but the rapid rise and subsequent crash of blood glucose levels create a vicious cycle of high and low moods.
Mood isn’t shaped by our thoughts or emotions alone. It’s deeply influenced by what’s happening in the body, especially blood sugar balance. When blood sugar levels rise quickly and then crash, the body becomes unstable, and the brain feels it first. The brain relies on a steady stream of glucose to function well, but when blood glucose levels drop too quickly, the brain interprets this as a stressor, and the body responds by releasing stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline to bring those levels back up. When this pattern happens repeatedly, the nervous system stays in a constant state of stress, making it harder to stay calm, balanced, and emotionally steady. Over time, these spikes and crashes disrupt neurotransmitter balance and can lead to increased feelings of stress, anxiety, shakiness, fatigue, irritability, and poor concentration. Frequent blood sugar crashes also keep cortisol elevated, leaving us feeling wired, restless, and emotionally exhausted. Maintaining stable blood sugar is essential for the steady production and release of serotonin, which regulates mood, emotional resilience, and a sense of well-being.
When blood sugar levels are too high or constantly fluctuating, it can also activate immune cells and lead to inflammation in the body and the brain. This inflammation can impact brain function and disrupt sleep, which further aggravates mood instability.
What to eat instead: foods that support a stable mood
Let’s get real—sugar has a bittersweet reputation. It’s essential for energy, but it can also negatively impact our health. The key is that not all sugar is created equal. Refined sugars are highly processed and stripped of all nutrients, while natural sugars found in fruit, vegetables, grains, and dairy come packaged with fibre, essential minerals, and antioxidants. These nutrients slow the digestion and absorption of sugar, providing a steadier, more sustained release of energy. By building balanced meals that support stable blood sugar, we can reduce spikes and crashes and keep your mood and energy more stable throughout the day.
A mood-supportive plate includes:
Protein to slow digestion and support neurotransmitter production
Healthy fats to provide steady energy and support brain health
Fibre-rich foods that supply glucose gradually to the bloodstream
Small, consistent shifts can have a significant impact on how mentally and emotionally stable you feel.
Aim for balanced meals to reduce the cravings of a quick sugar hit
Reduce sugar gradually to allow the taste buds to adjust
Fill your plate with nourishing foods first, rather than removing or restricting foods, to help reduce the amount of sugar you consume
Mood-supporting food swaps
While most of us could benefit from reducing our sugar intake, trying to eliminate it all at once can often backfire and leave us craving sugar even more. A great starting point for reducing sugar is to swap sweetened beverages with kombucha. Consider replacing sweetened beverages with herbal teas, sparkling water, or water flavoured with citrus, cucumber, mint, or strawberries. Try scanning the labels on foods you regularly eat for added sugars and swap for lower-sugar alternatives.
Mood isn’t a personal failure or a matter of willpower—it’s a message from the body. When the body is well nourished and supported, emotional balance becomes much easier to access. One of the most powerful ways to support mood is by keeping blood sugar steady, giving the brain the consistent energy it needs to feel calm, focused, and resilient. What we eat directly shapes how we feel by influencing brain structure and neurotransmitter production. Sugar is still sugar, but choosing natural sources and cutting back on refined and added sugars can go a long way in supporting balanced moods.
If you feel like you’re constantly on a mood rollercoaster and are ready to move past the guesswork, reach out for a free consultation. At No Shoes Nutrition, we work with individuals and groups to create personalized support for nourishing your mood and energy in ways that feel realistic and sustainable.
References
Firth J., Gangwisch J.E., Borsini A., et al. Food and mood: how do diet and nutrition affect mental wellbeing? (2020) BMJ. Jun 29;369
doi: 10.1136/bmj.m2382
Jacques A. Chaaya N., Beecher K., et al. The impact of sugar consumption on stress driven, emotional and addictive behaviors. (2019) Neurosc Biobehav Rev Aug 103;178-199.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.05.021
Ma X., Liang H., Shu P., et al. Excessive intake of sugar: an accomplice of inflammation. (2022) Front Immunol. Aug 31;13:988481.
