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Those who are trying to lose weight are supposed to lay off the sugar, but are there times the sweet stuff can be good for you?
Reaching for sugary drinks like lemonade may be beneficial to temporarily reduce aggression and anger, according to a study published in Aggressive Behavior.
People who drank a glass of lemonade sweetened with a spoonful of sugar acted less aggressively toward a strangers than those who drank lemonade containing a sugar substitute.
Researchers said glucose, a sugar that is naturally found in the bloodstream that gives the brain energy, could be key to the results.
"Avoiding aggressive impulses takes self control, and self control takes a lot of energy," study author Brad Bushman, professor of communication and psychology at Ohio State University, said in a summary of the findings. "Glucose provides that energy in the brain. Drinking sweetened lemonade helped provide the short-term energy needed to avoid lashing out at others."
Others believe that artificial sweeteners may cause damage to brain cells or inhibit connections between the nerve cells of the brain, including the limbic system, which is involved in emotions.
Even though sugar can cause rapid spikes and drops in blood sugar, leading to mood swings, the effect of substitute sweeteners is even worse.
Bushman and his team have done several previous studies suggesting that people whose bodies have a hard time metabolizing and using glucose show more signs of aggressive behavior and less tendency to be forgiving of others.
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