Since I am recovering from  AFS I always research and read about connections of foods and herbal supplement’s that could have an affect on it. I came across the article about Sugar, AFS and depression. Below is only part of it which explains best how sugar can have an affect on Depression and also influence Hormonal effects. Sugar is an addiction and many researcher agree that it is possibly worse being addicted to sugar then cocaine and heroine.

” Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome (AFS) is a condition resulting from adrenal exhaustion that affects many adults in the U.S. It is broad spectrum and non‐specific, and many times debilitating symptoms are often overlooked by conventional medicine. Recent studies suggest that the correlation between sugar and depression often plague those suffering from AFS. The connection between sugar and depression is likely a result of metabolic‐nutritional problems, which is one of the clear causes of AFS. Stress, an improperly functioning hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal (HPA) axis, and immune system dysfunction are other frequent causes of AFS. When under stress, the body activates the HPA axis naturally in an effort to handle the stress and its effects. Located on top of the kidneys,the adrenal glands are an integral part of this process. They release a hormone called cortisol to fight stress. Over time, especially if stress levels continue or increase, the adrenals are able to release less and less cortisol. With lower levels of cortisol, the body is not able to handle stress. One way cortisol serves to help the body deal with stress and reduce adrenal fatigue is to keep blood sugar levels normal. When sugar is consumed (in any of its many forms), blood sugar increases. With insufficient cortisol, blood sugar levels continue to increase. Cortisol is also important in controlling inflammation. Both blood sugar levels and inflammation are increased with higher refined sugar intake and are seen in depression as well.Increased stress and reduced adrenal functioning may both lead to fatigue, lower energy, and other symptoms of depression. Research strongly suggests increased sugar intake leads to the same symptoms. A more comprehensive understanding of how the body functions systemically is needed to treat stress, depression, and AFS. A more comprehensive viewpoint is seeing the stress response from a NeuroEndoMetabolic (NEM) stress response or systemic view. In this way of looking at stress and our response to it, all body systems are considered. These systems of the body are interrelated. What affects one, affects all. Thus, when the body is under stress and the adrenals are affected, so are the other parts of the body. The immune system is triggered – due to increased inflammation – when the body is under stress and the pancreas reacts due to the metabolic response. These two areas are also activated when the intake of sugar increases and depression is present. This means these two body systems may respond to the intake of sugar and depression in the same way it responds to stress. Because so much of our processed foods are loaded with sugar, our bodies may be under constant stress due to food intake. Just one more reason to be concerned about sugar and depression – the most prevalent mental health issue today. A recent study reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed the 70,000 women participating in the study to have had a higher chance of developing an issue with sugar and depression – if they ate refined carbs. In the body, these carbs are changed to sugar naturally, leading to higher glycemic indexes. The glycemic index is a formula showing the way foods affect blood sugar levels. When foods like white bread, sweets, and sodas are consumed, the glycemic index rises. This study also showed women whose diet contained foods higher in fiber (including fruits and vegetables) had less chance of developing depression.”

To read the entire article please go to

www.drlam.com