Depression is a mental illness that affects the body, mood, thoughts and behavior of an individual. It is characterized by feelings of hopelessness, loss of interest and pleasure in life, fatigue, social withdrawal and weight gain or loss. Food affects the levels of neurotransmitters in your brain, and neurotransmitters regulate your mood and behavior. As such, what you eat has a profound influence on your brain. Certain foods may contribute to or exacerbate depressive symptoms.
Refined Carbohydrates and Sugars
Fluctuations in blood-sugar levels can contribute to low mood, flat affect, irritability and rapid behavior changes. Refined carbohydrates such as white bread, croissants and bagels should be avoided. Sugars such as white sugar, brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, fruit juice and high-fructose corn syrup should also be avoided. Phyllis Balch explains in her book, "Prescription for Nutritional Healing," that consuming these foods leads to a rapid spike in blood sugar and an accompanying quick burst of energy, followed by a fall in blood sugar and symptoms of fatigue and depression. The Canadian School of Natural Nutrition, or CSNN, adds that alcohol, caffeine and highly processed foods should also be avoided, because these foods are void of nutrients and may cause blood-sugar fluctuations.
Allergenic Foods
Hidden food allergies can cause or contribute to depression. As such, CSNN recommends following a hypoallergenic diet for four weeks to help you identify and eliminate food allergies. To follow this diet, eliminate food with eggs, nuts, dairy, chocolate, wheat, citrus, corn, sugar, aspartame, monosodium glutamate and food coloring. After four weeks, reintroduce one food item per day and monitor for a return or exacerbation of symptoms. Should none occur, then that food is safe for consumption.
Foods or Beverages Artificially Sweetened
According to Balch, diet sodas and foods that contain the artificial sweetener aspartame can cause depression, insomnia and headaches. Aspartame can block the formation of the neurotransmitter serotonin. Serotonin is responsible for feelings of happiness. In fact, certain classes of antidepressants work by increasing levels of serotonin in the brain. Check the labels of foods and drinks, especially diet beverages. Avoid anything that contains aspartame, NutraSweet or Equal. Also limit your consumption of anything that contains the substance phenylalanine. Phenylalanine is one of the major components of aspartame, and Balch says that many depressed people have been found to be allergic to it.
Fatty Foods
Other foods that potentially cause depression are those with trans fats or hydrogenated oils and those that are fried and greasy. In addition, saturated fats -- found in animal products such as non-skim dairy, meat and butter -- should be limited. These fats clog your arteries and small blood vessels, leading to poor circulation and blood flow to the brain. Symptoms such as fatigue, sluggishness and slow thinking also result.
References
- "Prescription for Nutritional Healing"; Phyllis Balch; 2003
- "Pathology and Nutrition"; The Canadian School of Natural Nutrition; Lilieana Stradler Mitrea; 2008
