How diet affects our mood - Sugar

For a long time people have found a link between eating certain foods and their mood, however more recent evidence has emerged supporting this theory.

Eating a diet high in fruits, vegetables and wholegrains appear to boost mood and appears to help fight depression. On the flip side having a diet high in sugar and processed foods has been linked with lowering mood.

First let's take a look at sugar.

An increase in sugar consumption has been linked with lowered mood. Eating large amounts of sugar for a long period prevents the lining of the gut from stopping harmful substances passing into the body which causes small molecules to escape from the gut into the bloodstream causing inflammation. The current understanding is this low level of inflammation can be a risk factor for depression.

Depression is a very complicated issue and diet can be one small part of the larger issue. Hopefully a change in diet can be complemented with other methods for treating depression.