Psychotherapy affects pleasure: focus on sugar alternatives!

Psychotherapy affects pleasure: focus on sugar alternatives!

How much sugar is really in our food? This is the central question that will be raised in the upcoming "on the pulse" of the consultation. On July 17, 2025, moderator Maria Harmer will talk to experts such as Alexandra Kautzky-Willer, internist at the AKH Vienna, Rita Bugl, dietologist at the Ottakring Clinic, and Isabella Kimmeswenger, nutritionist at the University of Vienna, about the health aspects of sugar and sugar substitutes. Studies show that Austrians consume an average of 30 custody sugar per day and that the hidden sweeteners in food such as muesli, energy drinks and salad sauces are often not recognizable at first glance.

under the title "Sweet temptation - sugar or sugar substitutes?" the use of alternative sweeteners is also examined during the broadcast. Synthetic substitutes such as aspartame and saccharin are very popular in many products marked as "sugar -free". The sugar content is not only a health aspect, but also a tax aspect that pays attention to the new psychotherapy system in Austria.

in the footsteps of the sugar alternatives

The excitement for sugar and its alternatives is not entirely unfounded. An exciting knowledge is the influence of sugar substitutes on the microbiome, which consists of bacteria, archaees and fungi. These microbes play a crucial role in our health, including immune development and defense against pathogens. Serious sugar alternatives such as erythritus, which only supplies 20 kcal per 100 g, could offer a way to reduce sugar consumption, although the discussion about their health effects is still in full swing. The opinions on their influence on the microbioma are divided and the study situation is often unclear, the Sibo-Academy reports.

It is particularly interesting that the Viennese psychotherapy scene is convinced that mental illnesses could also be related to our sugar consumption. The latest results of an EU-financed study by the name Moodfood show that men who consume over 67 g of sugar per day have a 23 % higher risk of mental illnesses. However, this connection was not observed in women. Scientists assume that depression will be among the most common causes of incapacity for work by 2030.

sugar and psyche in focus

Why does sugar create such thrust by our psyche? A plausible explanation could be the influence on the BDNF mirror (Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor), which is lowered by sugar. At the same time, sugar allows the hippocampus to be broken down and increases inflammation markers in the body. These are just a few of the results that the researchers could collect as part of the Moodfood study. This makes it clear that we should think about the health effects of sweets, as well as Ö1 emphasized on the upcoming program.

This way you cannot avoid questioning your own shopping behavior - and maybe also critically questioning whether the high sugar consumption is really the right choice. At the end of the day it is up to us to resist the sweet temptations and make more conscious decisions.

For all interested parties, the office hour also offers the opportunity to ask questions by phone or in writing, which should certainly meet with lively interest.

Stay Tuned! Because July 17th could get a sugar debate rolling that affects us all.