Very Low Carb and depression - how long?

Athijade

As someone with diagnosed depression, I can tell you that diet has an huge impact on the stability of my symptoms. I learned the hard way that low carb does not work for me. Yes, I lost weight on it, but my depression got worse. I don't know why, but that is simply how my body reacted. As such, I can not go low carb due to that (not that I would anyway because why give up carbs when I can still lose weight with them).

Holla4mom

I'm not an expert but I've researched this issue a little bit for my own self. I enjoy eating low carb foods and I drop weight quickly when I do. However, it absolutely did not agree with my body/ brain health (i.e. my PMS/ anxiety issues).

I found out complex carbohydrates are tied in with seratonin levels in the brain. (It's one reason we reach for "comfort foods" when we are down.) I found complex carbs provided the same good feelings but because they are whole grains it was a sustainable good feeling for me that didn't result in a major insulin crash.

To this day, I would love to give up brown rice and oatmeal and lose weight faster, but when I do, there is no living with me! So, I would say talk to your nutritionist and doctor and perhaps slowly add in the grains that help you feel the best. The B vitamins in oatmeal/ brown rice are the most helpful to me so that is what I make room for with my calories.

michikade

I found out complex carbohydrates are tied in with seratonin levels in the brain. (It's one reason we reach for "comfort foods" when we are down.) I found complex carbs provided the same good feelings but because they are whole grains it was a sustainable good feeling for me that didn't result in a major insulin crash.

This was kind of what I was going to say too - and a pre-existing tendency for depression can make this correlation even easier to feel.

However, 4-5 days may not be long enough to get past your body's craving additional carbs. I would say try it for a couple weeks but there may be no living with you for that long (no offense) --- I know if I go too long with way too few carbs (like in the 40 g / day range) I get pretty crabby and stay that way, and I'm not even one to eat a bunch of 'em.

I eat around 115 g / day in carbs naturally (as in, even when I'm not consciously eating), which is around your goal level. I get mine in fruits, veggies, occasional whole grains. I know there's a body adjustment level and I suppose those that are big bread-and-pasta people would feel the difference more but one would think 100 or so g / day would be something one could adjust to fairly easily, assuming they're eating enough overall (so the other calories are coming from protein sources and fats).

castadiva

Have others encountered this side-effect and continued? If so, how long did this last for?

For many, it never goes away.

A 100g/day, though, is not a particularly amount of carbs. I'd at least consider being open to other causes of your depression.

100g/day was the upper limit - most days I was averaging between 40 and 60g gross. The symptoms appeared after a few days of this sort of eating and disappeared as soon as I reverted to eating more normally, so I'm fairly sure of the correlation. Thanks, though.

castadiva

I found out complex carbohydrates are tied in with seratonin levels in the brain. (It's one reason we reach for "comfort foods" when we are down.) I found complex carbs provided the same good feelings but because they are whole grains it was a sustainable good feeling for me that didn't result in a major insulin crash.

This was kind of what I was going to say too - and a pre-existing tendency for depression can make this correlation even easier to feel.

However, 4-5 days may not be long enough to get past your body's craving additional carbs. I would say try it for a couple weeks but there may be no living with you for that long (no offense) --- I know if I go too long with way too few carbs (like in the 40 g / day range) I get pretty crabby and stay that way, and I'm not even one to eat a bunch of 'em.

I eat around 115 g / day in carbs naturally (as in, even when I'm not consciously eating), which is around your goal level. I get mine in fruits, veggies, occasional whole grains. I know there's a body adjustment level and I suppose those that are big bread-and-pasta people would feel the difference more but one would think 100 or so g / day would be something one could adjust to fairly easily, assuming they're eating enough overall (so the other calories are coming from protein sources and fats).

Have others encountered this side-effect and continued? If so, how long did this last for?

For many, it never goes away.

A 100g/day, though, is not a particularly amount of carbs. I'd at least consider being open to other causes of your depression.

I realise my OP probably wasn't very clear - 100g/day was the upper absolute limit - most days I was averaging between 40 and 60g gross. The symptoms appeared after a few days of this sort of eating and disappeared as soon as I reverted to eating more normally, so I'm fairly sure of the correlation. I was not taking Metformin at the time - I'm determined not to become reliant on it - and my 'resting/non low-carb-focused' average is usually around the 150g mark.

4-5 days wouldn't be long enough, I agree, but when I started having very atypical (I have no history of depression) thoughts of a type that put me in danger, around day 8, or thereabouts, and there was nothing else to account for my downward mental spiral, I realised I had to stop. I started this thread because I wanted to see if anyone else had experienced similar symptoms, and pushed on through, with a positive outcome, but that doesn't seem to be the case, so I guess it's back to the drawing board!

ladymiseryali

Don't be stupid guys, the human body evolved to have carbohydrates as its primary energy source, and it needs all three protein carbs and fats or it doesn't run right. Quit looking for dumb shortcuts and just stick with the caloric deficit and lose weight.

Um, I've been keto-ing for over a year now. I'm not dead yet and I feel awesome.....well, not right now because I have an ulcer that is healing, but other than the ulcer, I've been awesome. I guess I'm just a special snowflake, huh? I didn't do keto for a shortcut. I decided to give it a try because the high carb and low fat way I was doing it WAS NOT WORKING. My body looks better, feels better and is better now. So really, unless you have peer-reviewed studies to back up your claims, you should refrain from calling people dumb, just because they DARE to eat differently than you do. You're being rude and an *kitten*.

Mr_Knight

I realise my OP probably wasn't very clear - 100g/day was the upper absolute limit - most days I was averaging between 40 and 60g gross. The symptoms appeared after a few days of this sort of eating and disappeared as soon as I reverted to eating more normally, so I'm fairly sure of the correlation.

Then it would appear that you have your answer.

Stilllosing26

I would really consider you not cutting out/going "low carb". Instead, replace the bad refined, and white grains/pasta's/cereals, with whole grains! Whole grains are things like bran, oats, oat bran, quinoa, wild/brown rice, and sprouted breads. You NEED the fiber in these foods to survive, and ward off things like constipation! I am vegan, and I need the carbohydrates from fruits, veggies, and whole grains, and I don't know what one earth I'd do without them!

Spnneil06

I do low carb and don't feel any depression! Very energetic and seeing fantastic results. Maybe there is something more! Hope you figure it out!

FIT_Goat

You NEED the fiber in these foods to survive, and ward off things like constipation!

LIES... COMPLETE LIES. You do not need fiber to survive. And, zero-fiber diets have been shown to ease constipation, not cause it (Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3435786/ )

icrushit

Don't experience any of these things, and if I did, I would be looking at changing my diet. No diet, low carb or otherwise, works for everyone, so better to find the one that does work for you, if this one isn't. Remember you have three basic choices - high carb-low fat, moderate carb-moderate fat, and low carb-high fat, and perhaps moderate carb-moderate fat may suit you better. Personally I would probably dial back the carbs but stop or row back a little if they reach a problematic level.

Of course there are also many other factors that might be behind what you are experiencing, so perhaps look deeper into what you are and are not eating when you do low carb, and see if you can't identify the culprit. Good luck

DanielCathers

You NEED the fiber in these foods to survive, and ward off things like constipation!

LIES... COMPLETE LIES. You do not need fiber to survive. And, zero-fiber diets have been shown to ease constipation, not cause it (Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3435786/ )

Not to mention low carb diets often count net carbs.

castadiva

Don't experience any of these things, and if I did, I would be looking at changing my diet. No diet, low carb or otherwise, works for everyone, so better to find the one that does work for you, if this one isn't. Remember you have three basic choices - high carb-low fat, moderate carb-moderate fat, and low carb-high fat, and perhaps moderate carb-moderate fat may suit you better. Personally I would probably dial back the carbs but stop or row back a little if they reach a problematic level.

Of course there are also many other factors that might be behind what you are experiencing, so perhaps look deeper into what you are and are not eating when you do low carb, and see if you can't identify the culprit. Good luck

Thanks - I will do. The correlation seemed pretty obvious at the time, so I didn't investigate further, but it's a good idea. The culprit could be something else. Stillosing26 - I mostly eat whole grains anyway, and was cutting out the refined things altogether in this period, but thanks for the thoughtful post.

949BeachMom

Id say eat better . Eat 1800 calories of good food and stay active. If I was limiting food when I was hungry id be depressed too.

chadya07

carbohydrates contain the suns radiant energy, captured in the form that living things use to fuel the processes of life......