The Connection Between Sugar and Stress

By Melanie Beasley, RD, LD
August 25, 2025

 

Have you ever heard the word sugar and then thought, “If I eat sugar, it creates stress in my body!” I am going to take a leap and guess that is not your first thought. Most of us simply want the sweet taste of a treat. However, sugar equals stress and pain for the body. In fact, eating high amounts of sugar can create all kinds of health problems. Let’s dig a little deeper into what happens when we over consume sugar.

A common day of eating that leads to stress

Morning - Let’s say you stop by the coffee shop on your way to work in the morning. You order a 16oz pumpkin spice latte and enjoy your coffee as you drive to work. What you may not realize is you are drinking 52 grams of carbohydrates, which turns into 13 teaspoons of sugar in your blood stream.

Mid Morning - You are incredibly hungry, maybe even a little irritable or perhaps not focusing like you could. You need something to pep you up fast, so what do you grab? A bagel in the break room that a co-worker brought in and head back to your desk.

The bagel has 44 grams of carbohydrates, so your mid-morning snack turns into 11 teaspoons of sugar in your blood stream. 11 TEASPOONS!! You are now on another sugar high, and, in a short time, you will crash, and your blood sugar will be low. And again, you will be looking for a quick fix.  It’s easy to reach for the candy bar or the box of crackers that leads to another sugar spike.

Lunch - You didn’t make time to pack a lunch, so you look for a sandwich shop and pick up a 12-inch sandwich, with some chips and a soda totaling 244 grams of carbohydrates, all of which become 61 teaspoons of sugar in your bloodstream. 61 TEASPOONS!!

Only 1pm: You have now eaten 340 grams of carbohydrates that your body turned into 85 teaspoons of sugar, and it is only 1:00pm! What is the impact on your body?

Why high-sugar eating makes you stressed

When you consume high amounts of sugar daily, you are going to find yourself on a blood sugar roller coaster and, when you get on that ride, you realize quickly it makes you stressed. A high-sugar meal or beverage picks you up, but in no time, your blood sugar comes crashing down.

What are the consequences?

Eating high-carbohydrate snacks before bed, such as popcorn, wine or sweets—can cause a rapid increase in blood sugar, followed by a sharp drop a few hours later. This drop, known as reactive hypoglycemia, can trigger the release of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, which may cause you to wake up suddenly during the night.

Over time, poor sleep caused by these fluctuations can lead to daytime fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and increased stress. Research also shows that chronic sleep deprivation can make it harder for the body to regulate blood sugar, and it causes more sugar cravings, yikes!

Sugar & Depression/Anxiety

Do you experience anxiety or depression? When you are riding high with spiked blood sugar, you eventually crash. For some people when they have low blood sugar, their anxiety increases, or their depression intensifies, and it sends them looking for more carbohydrates because their brain needs to feel better. Sugar gives you a fast calm, but it doesn’t last and when the calm goes away, you’re more stressed than before.

Learn more about managing stress through sleep in our $25 online class, Getting A Good Night’s Sleep.

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Excess sugar = inflammation

Another consequence of eating foods high in sugar is that excess sugar causes inflammation and can lead to chronic and/or serious health problems. When your diet is high in sugar, that creates inflammation in your body, and you may experience more aches and pains.

Have you ever thought that your aching joints could feel better with less sugar in your diet? Sugar acts like sandpaper on your joints, so less sugar means less sandpaper and less pain.  

What about those of you who feel like you can’t remember things the way you used to? Sugar creates inflammation in your brain too. You may lose focus, can’t remember why you went into a room, or forget where you parked your car at the grocery store. Less sugar means less inflammation in your brain and more mental clarity.

We can’t talk about blood sugar without talking about Type 2 diabetes. This condition is created by too much sugar in your daily diet which increases the amount of insulin in your body, a hormone produced by the pancreas.

Over time, our body's cells can become less responsive to insulin. This is called insulin resistance. In response, the pancreas works extra hard to produce more insulin. Eventually, though, this can lead to chronically elevated levels of both insulin and glucose in the bloodstream.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), around38.4 million Americans. About 90–95%are diagnosed as Type 2 diabetes.

Another indicator of too much sugar is obesity. One third of American adults are clinically obese. Eating excess amounts of sugar packs on the pounds because sugar does not fill you up, like protein and healthy fats do, so you want more.

Put an end to the sugar-stress cycle  

How can you decrease sugar in your diet and experience less stress and inflammation?

1. You can start today by getting rid of the processed foods in your kitchen cabinets and desk drawers at work and replacing them with real foods.
2. At every meal and snack make sure you’re eating animal protein, vegetables, small amounts of fruit, and healthy fats.
3. Eating three meals a day and two to three snacks per day is key to ending your sugar cravings. For most folks, eating every three to four hours is a good guideline. This will balance your blood sugar throughout the day and keep the inflammation that sugar creates out of your life.

A common day of eating with balanced blood sugar:

Breakfast: Maybe for breakfast you heat up a couple slices of the Nutritional Weight & Wellness egg bake you made over the weekend. This is a perfect mix of protein (egg and sausage), carbohydrates (veggies), and fat (coconut milk) and is versatile enough you can mix different meats and vegetables to keep it interesting each week. If you still want to stop for a coffee on the way to work, order a black coffee or cold brew with heavy cream (or coconut milk if you’re dairy sensitive) and put in a few of your own stevia flavor drops if you like a little extra flavor.

Lunch: You pack some leftover chili topped with sour cream or avocado. If you didn’t have time to make lunch. This is a healthy delicious lunch instead of the sandwich, chips, and soda You can also add a little sparkling water or Zevia soda to give you that bubbly fix.

Afternoon Snack: when you start feeling a little hungry grab the grass fed meat stick, sugar snap peas, and clementine you brought to work. It will help with that midafternoon slump by giving you the energy to make it through the end of the workday.

Dinner: you quickly sauté ground pork (protein), a coleslaw mix with onion and garlic (carbohydrates), and top it with slivered almonds and a drizzle of toasted sesame oil (fat) to make an Egg Roll In A Bowl (being sure to make a little extra to pack for your lunch tomorrow!).

Bedtime Snack: To round out the day, before bed you have a low sugar real food snack. Take ¾ cup of berries in a bowl and top with a couple tablespoons of organic heavy cream or full-fat coconut milk. Delicious without the blood sugar spike!

Get support in creating a real food menu plan in our Nutrition 4 Weight Loss class available online or in-person.

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Reduce your stress with the help of real food

To recap, eating sugar can cause a stress response in your body when your blood sugar rockets upwards and then drops afterwards. This roller coaster of blood sugars can create feelings of anxiety, depression, insomnia, lack of focus, low energy, memory issues, and inflammation.

The best thing to do for your stress levels and your blood sugar is to eat real food in balance often throughout the day – focus on the big three macronutrients: quality animal protein, healthy fats, and whole food carbohydrates in the form of vegetables and a little fruit.  

If you feel like sugar has a hold over you, start by looking at how much sugar is in your day. After some self-reflection, pick one meal or snack to start with that you know you should change.

• Swap processed foods for real foods without sugar.

• Instead of crackers, have sliced cucumbers.

• Instead of candy, have some blueberries.

You are not only getting off the blood sugar roller coaster, but you are nourishing your body. All the food noise goes away as you feed your body and your brain the nourishment it needs.

If you feel like you need help with problem solving or meal planning. One of our dietitians would love to help you get over those sugar cravings.

For more information on sugar and stress, check out these resources:

• Read: Supplements for Sugar Cravings
• Read: 6 Strategies to Kick Your Sugar Habit
• Join: 28 Day Sugar Challenge
• Watch: How Hidden Sugar Accelerates Aging