United States: Recent research shows that changes in blood sugar levels can actually affect our mood which sometimes leading to anxiety or depression. Eating sweets might give us a quick “sugar high,” while being hungry can make us feel angry or irritable, a feeling known as “hangry.” These mood changes happen because blood sugar levels impact our hormones and nervous system.
The Role of Diet in Mental Health
As mentioned by The Conversation, Mental health is actually very complex and there are some countless social psychological and the biological factors that ultimately determine any one person’s experience.
However, numerous randomized controlled trials have portrayed that specific diet is one biological factor that can significantly influence the risk for symptoms of depression and anxiety, particularly in women. The glycemic index and its utilization.
The Impact of Glycemic Index on Mood
Some of the randomized controlled trials that have supported the diets-mental health relation have done so by using the Mediterranean diet or a diet slightly derived from it. The foods that are consumed under the Mediterranean diet are vegetables particularly dark green leafy vegetables and fruits, monounsaturated fat particularly olive oil, whole grains, legumes and nuts, fish, poultry and dairy products with moderate intake of red meat. Another property of the Mediterranean diet that can be linked to the outcome on mood is its glycemic index.
The glycemic index is a set of measurements that defines foods and diets as per their capacity for increasing blood glucose. Hence, born from the fact that glucose changes influence mood in general, high glycemic index diets linked to sudden and large glucose spikes had been linked to depressive illness and to some extent anxiety.
The sources of the high glycemic index carbohydrates are; white rice, white bread crackers and baked products. Hence, eating food high in these nutrients could be pointers to increasing incidences of depression and anxiety. On the other hand, the carbohydrate foods that are rated low glycemic index like parboiled rice and al dente pasta that take more time to be digested and raise the blood sugar less are useful in reducing the risk. How diet affects mood
How Blood Sugar Influences Mood
With each bit of sugar or carbohydrates in our diet – bread, rice, pasta, potatoes or even crackers for example, the blood sugar rises and unleashes a series of hormones and signaling molecules. For instance, dopamine – the molecule in the brain associated with reward – is responsible for the ability to feel the ‘rush’ following the intake of desserts or baked goods. Dopamine is the body’s method of reinforcing the intake of the calories, or energy as it is otherwise known, that are essential for survival.