Doctors have issued a health warning to Britons this Christmas after a new survey found one in five people are considered addicted to sugar.
The average Briton consumes 87g more sugar on Christmas day than their usual 29g intake, nearly three times the NHSâs recommended daily maximum of 30g, according to a nationwide survey conducted by Superdrug Online Doctor.
Younger people tend to consume even higher quantities, with 16 to 24 year olds totalling 135g of sugar on Christmas Day – a staggering 106g more than recommended, which equates to devouring half a box of Celebrations chocolates.
38 per cent of Britons use Christmas as an excuse to indulge in sugar and 28 per cent saying they experience feeling âhungoverâ after a festive sugar binge.
These sugar spikes resulted in survey respondents reporting side effects such as weight gain (30 per cent), tooth decay (22 per cent), energy crashes and fatigue (21 per cent), struggling to sleep (17 per cent).
Dr Babak Ashrafi, clinical lead for service development at Superdrug, warned a food overload on Christmas Day can have âinstant and worrying effectsâ such as:
Insulin surge and energy crash
When sugar floods the bloodstream, your pancreas releases a large amount of insulin to bring your glucose levels down. This sudden rise and fall can leave you feeling exhausted, shaky, and hungry again soon after eating.
Weakened immune response
Excess sugar can temporarily slow your immune cellsâ ability to fight viruses and bacteria. Studies show that high blood-glucose levels can suppress white blood cell function for several hours, which is why overindulging may make you more susceptible to winter colds.
Inflammation and skin flare-ups
High sugar intake promotes inflammation throughout the body. In the short term this can worsen joint pain, water retention and puffiness, and for some people it can lead to skin flare-ups such as acne or eczema.
Strain on heart and blood vessels
When you consume too much sugar, your body produces more triglycerides and releases stress hormones like cortisol. Together these can cause a temporary rise in blood pressure and increased heart rate, putting additional strain on your cardiovascular system.
Cravings and mood imbalance
Sugar gives your brain a short-lived dopamine boost â the same chemical linked to feelings of pleasure. Once it drops, you can experience irritability, low mood and stronger cravings for more sweet foods, making it easy to fall into a repetitive binge-and-crash cycle.
However, Colette Reynolds, qualified nutritionist and child psychologist said that while consuming large amounts of sugar can lead to a sore tummy or feeling unwell, âwhat’s really important is what happens outside of Christmas.â
âThe goal is to help children develop a long-term, balanced relationship with all foods, including sweets. This process means over-indulging at times â for all of us, not just our children â and then getting back to our normal routines.
âThe best preparation is to maintain your regular eating routines as much as possible. This means prioritising three main meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. On the day itself, ensure your children eat well, ideally two or three balanced meals containing protein and fibre. These nutrients help stabilise blood sugar levels and provide lasting energy.”
âIt’s also helpful to talk about food in a neutral way. Avoid labels like ‘bad,’ ‘full of sugar,’ or ’empty calories.’ Labelling foods can make children feel guilty for eating them. We don’t want to use sweets as a reward or as a punishment. This helps keep food and emotions separate.”
