For many people, depression is brought on by a dramatic change in their lives or a chemical imbalance in their brains. However, some people have depression due to nutritional problems. Nutritional causes of depression include poor diets, lack of nutrients and not enough carbohydrates. If nutrition is the cause of depression, the patient can ingest the lacking nutrients to alleviate symptoms.
Symptoms
Clinical depression is more than feeling sad. According to the National Institutes of Health, depression "is a mood disorder where the feelings of sadness, loss, anger or frustration interfere with everyday life for an extended period of time." Symptoms include sleep problems, weight loss or gain, thoughts of death and suicide, inactivity, fatigue, lack of energy, difficulty concentrating, irritability, and feelings of hopeless, worthlessness and inappropriate guilt.
Food Patterns
According to Bonnie Beardsley, MPH, LDN, RD, author of the article "Depression and Nutrition," some people develop unhealthy eating patterns that occur during depression before the depression begins. For example, people will skip meals, have a poor appetite and a desire for sweets. This poor diet can predispose a person for depression, and will continue when the depression is developed.
Low Carbohydrates
People who eat a diet low in carbohydrates can increase their risk of developing depression, according to Beardsley. Carbohydrates trigger two neurotransmitters, tryptophan and serotonin, which are involved in mood. Low levels of tryptophan and serotonin can result in depressive symptoms. To improve depressive symptoms, patients can eat more carbohydrate-rich foods. However, Beardsley points out that it is not known which carbohydrate rich foods are best for fighting depression.
Nutritional Deficits
According to the National Institutes of Health, deficits of certain nutrients can result in depression. A lack of folate and omega-3 fatty acids, which are both involved in brain function and development, can result in depressive symptoms. In addition, deficits in vitamin B6 can also cause depression. According to Beardsley, while vitamin B6 deficiency is rare in the United States, many women do not get enough in their diets.
