Nutrition information can be confusing. One week you may hear that carbohydrates are all bad and should be avoided, and the next week you might be told to eat more carbohydrates, as long as they're the right kind. It's enough to confuse the most health-conscious consumer. One thing that's known is that carbohydrates affect mood. But they don't typically lead to depressed feelings. Instead, carbohydrates tend to alleviate depressed mood.
What Are Carbohydrates?
If you're a little fuzzy on the details about which foods are carbs and which are not, you're not alone. It's generally understood that carbohydrates include foods like bread, tortillas, muffins, cookies and crackers. But those aren't the only examples. As the Harvard School of Public Health explains, carbohydrates are a type of nutrient composed of sugars, starches and fiber. High-carb foods do include grains like bread and cereal, but foods like beans, legumes, fruits and vegetables also contain carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates and Mood
The evidence on the relationship between carbohydrates and mood is quite consistent. Specifically, research shows that carbs stimulate your brain's production of serotonin, a chemical that promotes feelings of happiness and well-being, says the Massachusetts Institute of Technology News. In fact, carbohydrates act as a natural mood-lifter and mood-regulator, much like the newer crop of antidepressants called SSRIs, or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, says Massachusetts Institute of Technology researcher Judith Wurtman. In other words, carbohydrates do not depress you; on the contrary, they are known to improve mood.
Caveats
The link between carbohydrates and mood can be somewhat complex, however. Columbia University's Health Services notes that some people respond to carbohydrate consumption with sleepiness and relaxation -- which is somewhat different from feeling happy. In addition, many carbohydrate-rich foods are low in nutrition -- think of candy, cookies and cake -- and may contribute to an initial burst of energy and positive feelings, followed by an energy crash that could lower your mood as well. Finally, other aspects of carbohydrate foods, such as their protein and fat content, may influence how carbs affect your serotonin levels and subsequent mood, perhaps blunting the effect.
Other Considerations
While carbohydrates are known to increase mood-lifting neurological chemicals, you may have other experiences with carbohydrates which could affect your mood negatively. For example, individuals who struggle with bulimia or other problems with binge eating may feel substantially depressed after excessively consuming carbohydrate-rich foods, due to the nature of their eating disorders. In addition, individuals with clinical mood disorders may have multiple other environmental, biological and genetic factors that contribute to depressed mood, no matter what types of food they eat. If you are concerned about your diet, nutrition, eating behavior or mood, consult your physician for help and advice.
