Foods and Beverages That May Cause Depression.

LurveTheDoctor

The way you eat really does play into your emotional state.

TheVimFuego

Spouts are the pits.

And low alcohol beer.

ELEANOR43da

hmmm,well I am gluten free so no wheat, I don't drink haven't since my teens, I am diabetic so limited sugar intake, and well I am not a coffee/tea drinker never was.Its water or diet soda for me .......but gee do I suffer from severe depression !!!

NikiMistry

I think I know where the doctor was coming from.

Sugar - burned up really quickly in a "sugar high" but then leaves you lethargic and low in a "sugar crash".

Caffeine - is a stimulant so the effects are the same as above.

Wheat - Not really sure. The doctor might be referring to highly processed wheat, which is pretty much 100% starch. The high and crash will be wider spaced but still there.

I think the doctor is trying stabilise her depression by removing highs and crashes from her diet.

jdhoward_101

I think I know where the doctor was coming from.

Sugar - burned up really quickly in a "sugar high" but then leaves you lethargic and low in a "sugar crash".

Caffeine - is a stimulant so the effects are the same as above.

Wheat - Not really sure. The doctor might be referring to highly processed wheat, which is pretty much 100% starch. The high and crash will be wider spaced but still there.

I think the doctor is trying stabilise her depression by removing highs and crashes from her diet.

I was going to say something along these lines: also, i know with me wheat makes me feel very bloated and heavy if i eat too much of it, which in turn can lead me to feel lethargic and blergh; i wouldn't say depressed, but it still isn't the ideal way of feeling.

ryry_

My conclusion from this is that eliminating wheat, sugar, caffeine and alcohol can cause depression.

Correction in bold

juliewatkin

This is also purely anecdotal based on my own recent experience. I'm not a doctor but I can play one on the internet:indifferent:

Any who. I had always held the opinion that carbs were indifferent and gluten problems were, for the most part, a load of crap. I restructured my diet to drop weight quickly for a meet. To that end, I cut a lot of carbs (predominantly wheat), dairy and added a lot of fat. Much to my surprise, I felt more energetic, more even keeled, happier and more mentally focused. I kept the diet change which is how I ended up on here. I never suffered from depression but the difference in my mental state was marked enough that I decided to carry on with the changes.

I may now have to reexamine my theory that pro-biotics, anti-oxidents and free-radicals are also bull**** designed to sell crap.

Ottawa_Randy

Lot of great answers. I liked the "Kale is depressing" best but you do get a jaw workout with it. :-)

Though not a diabetic, I was close for a while.
There is definitelt strong evidence that refined foods and sugar have direct links to depression, particularly is those with high blood/sugar.
Here are a few quotes ...

“If sugar were to be put on the market for the first time today, it would probably be difficult to get it past the FDA.”Kathleen DesMaisonsPotatoes not Prozac
Sugar consumption causes inflammation in the gut, body, and brain, which sets off an inflammation-immune chain reaction response resulting in depression anxiety.

"American Journal of Psychiatry analyzed the dietary habits of more than 1,000 women, ranking them according to their psychological symptoms.li The women whose diets mirrored my 30-day plan – high in vegetables and fruit, meat and fish and whole grains – showed a correspondingly lower incidence of depression and anxiety. Women who had a higher incidence of depression and anxiety partook of a diet of fried foods, fast-carb refined grain products, sugary foods and beer. Dr. Stefan Ripich, ND, CNP"

Nora T. Gedgaudas, CNS, CNT
Modern humans have become, for the most part, dependent upon glucose as their bodies’ source of fuel, whereas our ancestors used ketones as their primary metabolic energy source. This is a crucial distinction to understand, since the maintenance of proper blood sugar levels is something the body is “literally obsessed with,” stresses Gedgaudas. While excess blood sugar can theoretically be burned off—by taking a hike after eating a sugary dessert, for example—the hormone that regulates blood sugar levels—insulin— cannot be burned off. And it is constantly circulating blood insulin that causes so many health problems. In fact, regulating blood sugar levels is a rather sideline function of insulin, according to Gedgaudas; the main function of this hormone is to store fat. While insulin is present, body fat cannot be burned.


• Frequent hits of fructose mean frequent hits of dopamine. This leads inevitably to fructose addiction and that is exactly the mechanism used by other man-made opiods (like nicotine and cocaine).
• The trouble is that it seems the upregulating of dopamine at the expense of serotonin can become hard-wired if we allow it to go on for long enough. And once we’re addicted, we cant help but let it go on for long enough.
Fructose was once about as common as a bear encounter, but is now embedded in almost every processed food we buy.

David Gillespie Author of Sweet Poison and 8 other books

****
“Food for the Brain” offers this simple explanation:

Eating lots of sugar is going to give you sudden peaks and troughs in the amount of glucose in your blood; symptoms that this is going on include fatigue, irritability, dizziness, insomnia, excessive sweating (especially at night), poor concentration and forgetfulness, excessive thirst, depression and crying spells, digestive disturbances and blurred vision. Since the brain depends on an even supply of glucose it is no surprise to find that sugar has been implicated in aggressive behavior, anxiety, and depression, and fatigue.

Lots of refined sugar and refined carbohydrates (meaning white bread, pasta, rice and most processed foods,) is also linked with depression because these foods not only supply very little in the way of nutrients but they also use up the mood enhancing B vitamins; turning each teaspoon of sugar into energy needs B vitamins. In fact, a study of 3,456 middle-aged civil servants, published in British Journal of Psychiatry found that those who had a diet which contained a lot of processed foods had a 58% increased risk for depression, whereas those whose diet could be described as containing more whole foods had a 26% reduced risk for depression.

suziepoo1984

OK

ldrosophila

lack of chocolate and sex cause depression in me oh and not having access to my beautiful new mexican chile

kyleekay10

lack of chocolate and sex cause depression

Yup.

nomeejerome

Someone I know who was suffering from depression went to a psychiatrist because she was suffering from depression.

The psychiatrist gave her different anti depressions which didn't work.

He eventually told her to reduce her intake of sugar, wheat, caffeine and alcohol.

My conclusion from this is that excess wheat, sugar, caffeine and alcohol can cause depression.

Many times a person will have to try multiple medications and cocktails of medications to find an effective approach to treat the symptoms of depression, along with additional lifestyle changes. In situational or mild forms of depression, mild symptoms may be improved by consuming more nutritious foods and increasing exercise. However, your conclusion of "excess wheat, sugar, caffeine and alcohol can cause depression" is wrong. Food and beverages do not cause depression.

extra_medium

Lot of great answers. I liked the "Kale is depressing" best but you do get a jaw workout with it. :-)

Though not a diabetic, I was close for a while.
There is definitelt strong evidence that refined foods and sugar have direct links to depression, particularly is those with high blood/sugar.
Here are a few quotes ...

“If sugar were to be put on the market for the first time today, it would probably be difficult to get it past the FDA.”Kathleen DesMaisonsPotatoes not Prozac
Sugar consumption causes inflammation in the gut, body, and brain, which sets off an inflammation-immune chain reaction response resulting in depression anxiety.

"American Journal of Psychiatry analyzed the dietary habits of more than 1,000 women, ranking them according to their psychological symptoms.li The women whose diets mirrored my 30-day plan – high in vegetables and fruit, meat and fish and whole grains – showed a correspondingly lower incidence of depression and anxiety. Women who had a higher incidence of depression and anxiety partook of a diet of fried foods, fast-carb refined grain products, sugary foods and beer. Dr. Stefan Ripich, ND, CNP"

Nora T. Gedgaudas, CNS, CNT
Modern humans have become, for the most part, dependent upon glucose as their bodies’ source of fuel, whereas our ancestors used ketones as their primary metabolic energy source. This is a crucial distinction to understand, since the maintenance of proper blood sugar levels is something the body is “literally obsessed with,” stresses Gedgaudas. While excess blood sugar can theoretically be burned off—by taking a hike after eating a sugary dessert, for example—the hormone that regulates blood sugar levels—insulin— cannot be burned off. And it is constantly circulating blood insulin that causes so many health problems. In fact, regulating blood sugar levels is a rather sideline function of insulin, according to Gedgaudas; the main function of this hormone is to store fat. While insulin is present, body fat cannot be burned.


• Frequent hits of fructose mean frequent hits of dopamine. This leads inevitably to fructose addiction and that is exactly the mechanism used by other man-made opiods (like nicotine and cocaine).
• The trouble is that it seems the upregulating of dopamine at the expense of serotonin can become hard-wired if we allow it to go on for long enough. And once we’re addicted, we cant help but let it go on for long enough.
Fructose was once about as common as a bear encounter, but is now embedded in almost every processed food we buy.

David Gillespie Author of Sweet Poison and 8 other books

****
“Food for the Brain” offers this simple explanation:

Eating lots of sugar is going to give you sudden peaks and troughs in the amount of glucose in your blood; symptoms that this is going on include fatigue, irritability, dizziness, insomnia, excessive sweating (especially at night), poor concentration and forgetfulness, excessive thirst, depression and crying spells, digestive disturbances and blurred vision. Since the brain depends on an even supply of glucose it is no surprise to find that sugar has been implicated in aggressive behavior, anxiety, and depression, and fatigue.

Lots of refined sugar and refined carbohydrates (meaning white bread, pasta, rice and most processed foods,) is also linked with depression because these foods not only supply very little in the way of nutrients but they also use up the mood enhancing B vitamins; turning each teaspoon of sugar into energy needs B vitamins. In fact, a study of 3,456 middle-aged civil servants, published in British Journal of Psychiatry found that those who had a diet which contained a lot of processed foods had a 58% increased risk for depression, whereas those whose diet could be described as containing more whole foods had a 26% reduced risk for depression.

For every quote here from a book or article that is highly publicized recently due to it's relatively trendy nature, there are several others that directly dispute them. I'm not saying I know for a fact one is right or wrong, but just because there are a few popular quotes from people with letters after their names does not mean that is the majority opinion among doctors or dieticians.

I know when I've been through depressed periods in my life I've been much more likely to eat more processed foods, but that's just because I didn't feel like cooking, and throwing something in the microwave or ordering take-out was a lot more appealing at the time. But the food wasn't the cause of the depression, it was the other way around. I'm willing to bet the same is true for those civil servants from the UK.

I feel like if there really was a direct link between sugar/wheat and depression, nearly the entire population of earth would be unable to drag themselves out of bed every morning.

sassabella

I have anxiety/depression and still drink coffee. I don't really drink alcohol but that's only because I feel better off that way anyway and its my personal preference. I don't get the sugar thing though. Surely something like that is just a matter of moderation (like everything else)

Fivepts

Bump to me

WakkoW

This is also purely anecdotal based on my own recent experience. I'm not a doctor but I can play one on the internet:indifferent:

Any who. I had always held the opinion that carbs were indifferent and gluten problems were, for the most part, a load of crap. I restructured my diet to drop weight quickly for a meet. To that end, I cut a lot of carbs (predominantly wheat), dairy and added a lot of fat. Much to my surprise, I felt more energetic, more even keeled, happier and more mentally focused. I kept the diet change which is how I ended up on here. I never suffered from depression but the difference in my mental state was marked enough that I decided to carry on with the changes.

I may now have to reexamine my theory that pro-biotics, anti-oxidents and free-radicals are also bull**** designed to sell crap.

I thought the wheat/gluten thing was a BS too until recently. I joined in a clean eating challenge. The point of the challenge is to completely remove some things from your diet and slowly reintroduce them to see if they had any effect. If there is no effect, great! What an eye opener. For the first time in my life I feel good. I have suffered from depression/ mood swings and general irritability since I was a child. Now, people aren't nearly as annoying as they used to be. It's like I have been living my entire life with my head in a fog.

The only thing that I have not yet reintroduced is gluten. All I can say is that I feel fantastic and my energy has skyrocketed. I did a little research and have found out that this is not an uncommon reaction to gluten.

Also, I have been getting a nasty rash on and off for the last 10 years or so. The doctors I've seen didn't know what it was, and it always leaves before I have gotten an appointment with a dermatologist. Now, I'm wondering if this a side effect from the gluten? Anyway, my current plan is to kick the gluten for a few more months and try to reintroduce it. From what I've read, the longer you go without, the more sever your reactions will be if you are truly intolerant.

mrsamanda86

lack of chocolate and sex cause depression in me

YES! Thank goodness for my milky ways cuz I'm all out of the other option right now :sad:

SezxyStef

Interesting.

Guess I didn't realize those things caused seretonin upset.../sarcasm.

My family has a history of depression...I went to my doctor and she looked at me and said...and yes I am quoting here...

"Get up off your lazy *kitten* and go for a walk I am not giving you any pills"...Love my doctor she is the best...sort of sounds like a MFP Bully....:laugh:

but guess what it worked...nuff said.

Wildflower0106

lets see... I have dealt with OCD, severe anxiety, moderate depression and ptsd. I am now happy and no longer have to deal with any of these. I don't have to take meds and I still eat all the foods in the op.

ETA: I have also been free from prescription meds for 4 years. The meds were worse than the actually mental issues.

WakkoW

Interesting.

Guess I didn't realize those things caused seretonin upset.../sarcasm.

My family has a history of depression...I went to my doctor and she looked at me and said...and yes I am quoting here...

"Get up off your lazy *kitten* and go for a walk I am not giving you any pills"...Love my doctor she is the best...sort of sounds like a MFP Bully....:laugh:

but guess what it worked...nuff said.

What works for some, doesn't work for everyone. I've been lifting weights for more than a decade and I took up running before I started weightlifting. I average 6 days a week with exercise and have for a long time. Some days the only reason I would exercise is because I knew it made my mood better (but never great).

It's not going to be for everyone, but if it could help, why not try it for a bit. If it doesn't work, no harm. Obviously, you found what works for you, and that's great.