On any given afternoon in Malaysia, the scene is familiar: A long meeting ends, energy dips and the mind feels foggy.
Almost automatically, we reach for something sweet: a teh ais (iced tea), a doughnut, a chocolate bar, a bubble tea.
It feels harmless, comforting, even like a small reward after a long day.
But what if this everyday habit is quietly shaping our mood, our stress levels, and even our risk of depression?
Linking sugar and mood
For decades, sugar has been treated primarily as a physical health issue.
We associate it with diabetes, obesity and heart disease.
But a 2017 study by University College London researchers, published in the journal Scientific Reports, followed more than 7,000 people over two decades as part of the Whitehall II cohort.
It found that men who consumed more sugar from sweet foods and drinks were significantly more likely to develop depression and anxiety.
Importantly, the researchers ruled out the possibility that people were simply eating more sugar because they were already depressed, strengthening the evidence that sugar itself may play a causal role.
More recently, a 2024 meta-analysis in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition pooled data from over one million participants worldwide.
It confirmed a consistent link between high sugar intake and depression risk, with women appearing particularly vulnerable.
The study highlighted sugar-sweetened beverages as a major contributor, underscoring that sugar’s impact extends beyond physical health to mental well-being.
Malaysia’s relationship with sugar is not a small one.
According to recent data, Malaysians consume about 40.6kg of sugar per person each year – placing the country among the higher sugar-consuming nations globally.
On average, adults consume around 43g of sugar per day, while adolescents consume approximately 57g daily – nearly double the World Health Organization’s recommended limit of 25g per day.
Much of that sugar is not eaten; it is drunk.
Surveys show that about half of all sugar consumed in Malaysia comes from beverages: teh tarik, bubble tea, sweetened condensed milk drinks, soft drinks, flavoured coffees and teas.
For many Malaysians, sugar is not an occasional indulgence; it is part of everyday hydration.
What sugar does to the brain
Sugar does not simply provide sweetness.
It triggers a cascade of biological reactions that influence mood, energy and stress.
The first effect is metabolic.
When we consume sugary drinks or foods, blood glucose levels rise rapidly.
The body responds by releasing insulin, which quickly lowers glucose levels.
This rapid rise and fall often produces what people experience as the familiar “sugar crash”.
That crash can feel like fatigue, irritability, difficulty concentrating or sudden dips in mood.
The second effect involves inflammation.
High sugar intake promotes chronic low-grade inflammation throughout the body.
In recent years, researchers have increasingly linked inflammation to depression and other mood disorders.
The third mechanism involves the gut.
Our digestive system contains trillions of microbes that influence immunity, metabolism and emotional regulation through what scientists call the gut–brain axis.
High-sugar diets can disrupt this ecosystem by feeding harmful bacteria while reducing beneficial bacteria associated with mood stability.
There is another uncomfortable truth about sugar: it activates the brain’s reward system.
When we eat sugar, the brain releases dopamine, the neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward.
This is the same chemical pathway activated by alcohol, nicotine and certain drugs.
Sugar does not produce the same level of addiction as narcotics, but the neurological pathway is similar.
Over time, the brain begins to anticipate that dopamine surge.
When the expected reward does not arrive, people often feel irritable, restless or low in mood.
Some researchers have even argued that sugar can be more addictive than cocaine, a reminder of just how strong its grip can be.
This helps explain why many people describe sugar not as a treat, but as something they “need” to get through the day.
The cycle of stress and sweetness
The relationship between sugar and stress is deeply intertwined.
When the body is under stress, levels of a hormone called cortisol rise.
This hormone increases cravings for quick sources of energy, especially sugar.
Sugar produces an immediate surge of pleasure and energy that feels like a temporary escape from fatigue or emotional pressure.
But the relief is short-lived.
Once the sugar crash arrives, the original stress often returns, sometimes more intensely.
This creates a vicious cycle many people do not recognise: stress leading to increased sugar intake, which results in an energy spike, but leading to an inevitable sugar crash, which causes more stress that predisposes to more sugar intake.
Policy contradictions
Malaysia’s sugar culture is not shaped only by personal habits, but also by policy.
For decades, sugar has been subsidised to keep food prices affordable.
Today, those subsidies amount to roughly RM500mil to RM600mil annually, helping keep sugar prices among the lowest in the region.
At the same time, Malaysia has introduced taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages to reduce consumption.
The result is a curious contradiction.
On one hand, the government is trying to discourage sugary drinks; on the other, it continues to make sugar itself cheaper through subsidies.
Even indigenous communities are not spared.
In Perak, health officials have noted that the Jahai people – once reliant on forest produce and river resources – are now increasingly consuming processed sugar and sweetened drinks.
The shift has been so stark that the state government launched an “Anti-Sugar Policy” in 2025 to curb rising rates of diabetes and obesity across all communities, including the Orang Asli.
The fact that even the Jahai are struggling with sugar addiction shows just how deeply sweetness has penetrated Malaysian life.
Mental health consequences
Malaysia is already facing a growing burden of diet-related disease.
More than 15% of adults are living with diabetes, while national health surveys show that over half of the adult population is overweight or obese.
This dual epidemic is driven by high sugar consumption, sedentary lifestyles and rapid urbanisation.
Worryingly, these trends are now extending to children.
Nearly 30% of Malaysian children aged five to 17 are overweight or obese, and paediatricians report a steady rise in type 2 diabetes among adolescents – a condition once seen only in adults.
But the mental health consequences are rarely discussed.
Fatigue, mood swings, irritability, brain fog and energy crashes are symptoms commonly attributed to stress or overwork.
Yet diet, particularly sugar, may also be playing a role.
When blood sugar levels fluctuate repeatedly throughout the day, the brain’s ability to regulate mood becomes more fragile.
Young people appear particularly sensitive to the effects of high sugar intake.
Studies show that adolescents who consume more sugary drinks have higher rates of depression and anxiety.
In Malaysia, sugary drinks are widely marketed to younger audiences.
School environments often reinforce these habits, with sweet drinks easily available in canteens and convenience shops.
Rethinking that ‘sweet’ relationship
None of this means sugar must disappear from our lives.
Food is cultural. Sweetness is pleasurable. Celebrations and hospitality often revolve around it.
The issue is not occasional enjoyment, but frequency and invisibility.
When sugar is embedded in nearly every drink, snack and convenience food, consumption can rise without people consciously choosing it.
Reducing sugar intake does not require extreme diets.
Small changes can make a meaningful difference:
- Choose water or unsweetened tea between meals
- Limit sugary drinks to occasional treats, rather than a daily habit
- Eat balanced meals that stabilise blood sugar
- Pay attention to cravings triggered by fatigue or stress.
Often, what the body is seeking is not sugar, but rest.
Malaysia has made important strides in recognising the importance of mental health.
Public campaigns, counselling services and workplace well-being initiatives have grown significantly in recent years.
But mental health does not exist in isolation.
It is influenced by sleep, movement, social connection and diet.
The food systems we build, the policies we design and the cultural habits we encourage all shape how our brains function.
When a society consumes large amounts of sugar every day, the effects are unlikely to remain purely physical.
They may also influence how people feel, cope and think.
Sugar will always have a place in our culture.
The question is whether we allow it to quietly shape our well-being without recognising the cost.
Sweetness is easy to enjoy, but peace of mind and emotional stability may depend on learning when enough is enough.
Che Puan Muda Zaheeda Mohamad Ariff is the Raja Puan Muda of Kedah, a trained lawyer and Royal Patron of the Malaysian Mental Health Association. For more information, email starhealth@thestar.com.my. The information provided is for educational and communication purposes only, and it should not be construed as personal medical advice. The Star does not give any warranty on accuracy, completeness, functionality, usefulness or other assurances as to the content appearing in this column. The Star disclaims all responsibility for any losses, damage to property or personal injury suffered directly or indirectly from reliance on such information.
