Unlike the occasional blahs, depression detracts significantly from your life. You may experience uncontrollable crying, a sense of purposelessness, loss of pleasure in normally pleasurable activities, sleep problems and changes in your appetite and weight. In some cases, your appetite not only increases but beckons carbohydrate-rich foods. Gaining understanding regarding the relationship between carbohydrate cravings and depression may heighten your awareness regarding your symptoms and lead you toward positive ways of managing them.
Theories
While much regarding the relationship between depression and food cravings, carbohydrate cravings in particular, remains unknown, numerous theories exist. Because carbohydrates promote the rise of the feel-good chemical serotonin in the brain, some experts think that serotonin deficiencies, which is linked with depression, stimulates an increased desire for carbohydrates, according to the American Heart Association. If you experience anxiety in addition to depression, you may crave carbohydrates as a means of calming yourself. On the flip side, depressive symptoms may result from restricting carbohydrates or overall calories. If you already have depression, dieting may trigger or worsen carbohydrate cravings and symptoms of your condition. Anti-depressant medications, such as monoamine oxidase inhibitors, can cause increased appetite and weight gain, potentially leading to carbohydrate cravings. Some experts believe that carbohydrate cravings are learned responses.
Evidence
In a study published in "Eating Behaviors" in December 2008, overweight females with carbohydrate cravings and depression reported their emotional state before and during depressive moods and after consuming a carbohydrate-containing beverage or a protein-rich beverage of similar taste over a two-week period. Researchers found that the women chose the carbohydrate-containing beverages significantly more often than the control beverage and reported greater mood improvements after drinking it. This study supports the notion that women with depression indeed crave carbohydrates during depressive episodes and reap medicinal benefits from feeding the cravings. Some studies support the "mind-mood-food" connection, according to the AHA. Depressive symptoms as a result of carbohydrate-restricted diet are well-documented.
Risks/Benefits
Carbohydrate cravings may guide you toward increasing your intake of helpful foods or appear as an indication that additional therapy, medication changes or other treatment forms are needed. If you have difficulty managing your cravings, however, and eat excessive amounts of carbohydrate-rich foods, you may experience shame, frustration and weight gain. Feeding your cravings with refined carbohydrate sources, such as white bread, french fries or candy, can detract from your nutritional wellness and disrupt your blood sugar levels and moods. Optimizing your nutrient intake through eating more whole grains, fruits and vegetables, on the other hand, can boost your moods, according to dietitian and contributing writer for "Today's Dietitian" Dina Aronson.
Suggestions
If you are experiencing severe carbohydrate cravings or depressive symptoms, seek guidance from a qualified health care professional. Although research is limited, according to Mayo Clinic dietitian Katherine Zeratsky, diets rich in fruits, vegetables and fish, and limited in processed foods, are linked with lower instances of depression. Because fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein sources digest more efficiently and provide greater satiation than refined foods, emphasizing nutritious, whole foods may promote appetite control while lowering your risk for depression. Avoid fad diets, particularly those that limit entire nutrient groups or calories significantly. Allowing for occasional treat foods, such as desserts, and staying properly hydrated, may help guard against depressive moods and food cravings linked with rigid diets.
References
- American Heart Association: Carbohydrate Addiction
- MayoClinic.com: Antidepressants and Weight Gain: What Causes It?
- "Eating Behaviors"; Carbohydrate Craving: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Test of the Self-Medication Hypothesis; Joyce A. Corsicaa, Bonnie J. Spring; Dec. 2008
- Psychology Today: Low-Carb State of Mind
- "Today's Dietitian"; Eating for Energy; Dina Aronson; April 2009
- MayoClinic.com: Junk Food Blues: Are Diet and Depression Related?
