Does Anyone Think That Sugar Reinforces Depression?

[Jordanlee_81 0]

I've heard that people who have issues with depression should avoid sugary foods. I for one have a bit of a sweet tooth, but I'm thinking maybe I should consider going without.

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

[malaysiared 0]

I've heard that people who have issues with depression should avoid sugary foods. I for one have a bit of a sweet tooth, but I'm thinking maybe I should consider going without.

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

I avoid sugar. I definitely believe people with depression should avoid it, as well as all other stimulants. Don't try to cut it out completely though - just cut down little by little. If you cut it out completely you may just end up craving it more.

[john1157 0]

There have been many books written on the hypoglycemia connection to depressio/anxiety. Simple sugars, stimulants such as caffeine and others can cause wild blood sugar swings and contribute to mood swings. The metabolic factors contributing to anxiety/depression are well documented and can not be ignored.

[Whitelily 5]

There have been many books written on the hypoglycemia connection to depressio/anxiety. Simple sugars, stimulants such as caffeine and others can cause wild blood sugar swings and contribute to mood swings. The metabolic factors contributing to anxiety/depression are well documented and can not be ignored.

I agree! Like the book 'Sugar Blues'. There is a lot of documentation on it.

I also agree with Chloe to cut it down slowly. I started slowly substituting processed white sugar with xylitol. And I've used small amounts of stevia. Xylitol can-let's just say do a number on some peoples' bowels so try out carefully. Otherwise, it's wonderful. Some brands of stevia can be bitter so you have to shop around.

Once I started getting off sugar, the craving stopped. As soon as I have some sugar, it comes right back like a boomerang. I had a relapse recently. It was sweetened coffees like mochas. When I have those relapses, I definitely feel the effects after a week or so. I get irritable and moody.

And the caffeine seems to go with it. When I have caffeine it makes me want to eat sweet things.

Something I read recently which is interesting is that depressed people tend to want to eat sweet things. Is it comfort eating? Or is it more than that and chemistry?

But anyway cutting down sugar or getting off sugar may be difficult. It's a lifestyle choice. I have had a hard time of it. I felt like it was something I deserved to have something sweet. I thought, 'don't take it away from me!'. But I deserve to be balanced and happy and cutting down on sugar or doing without helps to do that.

[john1157 0]

Sugars increase serotonin levels, the symptoms of low serotonin are : Low levels of serotonin are associated with

[Used To Be Me 73]

Oooo i learning new stuff, i had no idea.

I have multiple bereavements, rape, bodyfear after loosing my skin in a virus, although i look fine, and ain't bad looking, so i guess that all lets me blame my depression, and i think it is the main part, ya know life kicking me in the nuts. But i have had an extreme sugar addiction, like mad, which i went cold turkey on this year, as dam it haas ruined my gnashers, but it was a treat i let myself have, adn it may explain why the climb out the pit has been such a hard one. I'll look into it, but without it i don't feel much better, but i lost y mind in an intense relationship so its hard to tell for now. When i getting laid and love i'll repost how the change has affected my overall mood... now to stop all the D*** images popping up

I have maintained a constant depression, and my diet of pepsi and jaffa cakes an choc has always exceeded normal drinks, and food, and D***, i even had 3 sugars in every tea, and i have a lot of tea, cause if my bladder drops below 3 gallons of the stuff i worry. Interesting thread, something to take to the therapist, now i looking at the can of cherry coke i bought as a treat after 5 days of none with abhorrence.

Thanks

Chris

[Burgy 35]

Something I read recently which is interesting is that depressed people tend to want to eat sweet things. Is it comfort eating? Or is it more than that and chemistry?

Comfort through chemistry. People with depression may instinctively crave sweets to increase their brain's serotonin levels. As you probably know, serotonin is made by the body from tryptophan, but tryptophan competes with many other amino acids for absorption into the brain. Sugar consumption stimulates insulin production, which clears the competing amino acids from the bloodstream, so tryptophan can more easily cross the blood-brain barrier, to be converted into serotonin.

[streamlinefd 0]

This certainly is an interesting nutrition related thread! Hmm...time for me to do some research on this.

[Whitelily 5]

This certainly is an interesting nutrition related thread! Hmm...time for me to do some research on this.

Yeah all of this is very interesting. It's interesting that we live in a society that eats a lot of sweets and a lot of antidepressants are perscribed.

I always want to eat sugar especially when I'm down and now I have some knowledge as to why. Thanks Burgy! Also I want to eat a lot of chocolate because it raises the endorphins. You can actually take amino acid supplements including one that raises your endorphins naturally. And tryptophan is in poultry.

[psychocandy 46]

This certainly is an interesting nutrition related thread! Hmm...time for me to do some research on this.

Yeah all of this is very interesting. It's interesting that we live in a society that eats a lot of sweets and a lot of antidepressants are perscribed.

I always want to eat sugar especially when I'm down and now I have some knowledge as to why. Thanks Burgy! Also I want to eat a lot of chocolate because it raises the endorphins. You can actually take amino acid supplements including one that raises your endorphins naturally. And tryptophan is in poultry.

So whats the one that raises endorphins?

Trouble is with all this stuff, theres so much research and opinion of eat this/dont eat that etc thats its sometimes hard to know who to believe !!!

[Guest Giz]

So whats the one that raises endorphins?

Trouble is with all this stuff, theres so much research and opinion of eat this/dont eat that etc thats its sometimes hard to know who to believe !!!

L-Tyrosine may be the one youre thinkin of..

I know its useful for depression, but only depression induced by certain factors..

Another thing useful to know is in order to create seratonin you need protein and complex carbohydrates.

Which is why a breakfast such as Porridge with a boiled egg is one of the best you can have..

(mind you eggs contain a lot of fat, but in reality most of your fat intake should take place in the morning as opposed to later in the day, as the earlier its consumed the more chance you have of burning it off, in fact, the majority of calories should be consumed earlier in the day as opposed to the evening, this has become less common and could be contributing to the worlds increasing difficulties with weight)

[Whitelily 5]

So whats the one that raises endorphins?

Trouble is with all this stuff, theres so much research and opinion of eat this/dont eat that etc thats its sometimes hard to know who to believe !!!

L-Tyrosine may be the one youre thinkin of..

I know its useful for depression, but only depression induced by certain factors..

Another thing useful to know is in order to create seratonin you need protein and complex carbohydrates.

Which is why a breakfast such as Porridge with a boiled egg is one of the best you can have..

(mind you eggs contain a lot of fat, but in reality most of your fat intake should take place in the morning as opposed to later in the day, as the earlier its consumed the more chance you have of burning it off, in fact, the majority of calories should be consumed earlier in the day as opposed to the evening, this has become less common and could be contributing to the worlds increasing difficulties with weight)

DLPA amino acid as well lifts endorphins. But some info. I read is that a supplement of the 'essential amino acids', I think 22 or 23 of them, does help with this. And, as Giz noted, a lot of protein-rich foods does this as well.

It helps some depressives.

The proteins that lift serotinin levels have tryptophan in them like poultry.

[pearlseeker 2]

There have been many books written on the hypoglycemia connection to depressio/anxiety. Simple sugars, stimulants such as caffeine and others can cause wild blood sugar swings and contribute to mood swings. The metabolic factors contributing to anxiety/depression are well documented and can not be ignored.

I have been reading a lot about hypoglycemia and depression online and I have ordered that book Sugar Blues and I am thinking, from what I've read so far, that there is a big connection with sugar and caffinne and depression! I'm no pro or Dr but I'm definately going to look into it further! It would be so much cheaper to just cut those things out than to take med's! Still, very hard because I drink sugar tea all day and I LOVE coffee with cream and sugar also, so I would have to make a lot of changes!! I'm so happy to hear that leaving off caffinne has helped other people here though!! Thanks!!

[surfergirl 18]

i have read a book called the chromium connection that links lack of chromium to depression. Chromium is involved with maintain blood glucose levels. Supposed to help people who have atypical depression. on the basis of reading that book i would recommend anyone with depression to try a chelated chromium supplement

[white kitten 0]

i have read a book called the chromium connection that links lack of chromium to depression. Chromium is involved with maintain blood glucose levels. Supposed to help people who have atypical depression. on the basis of reading that book i would recommend anyone with depression to try a chelated chromium supplement

I read two library books recently about blood sugar and depressive disorders -- and after being a tiny bit more careful with my diet, I can say that I am functioning much better than before! Maybe it's the diet and maybe it's something else. But anyone interested in the topic might want to look at: Potatoes Not Prozac, by Kathleen DesMaisons, and The Feel-Good Diet: "the weight-loss plan that boosts serotonin", by Hart & Grossman.

Also look into insulin resistance and low-glycemic-load diets. There's an older book called Food & Mood -- I don't remember it being as helpful as these two newer ones.

But boy it is hard to slowly cut back on the sugar . . .

[booleannangel 3]

I've heard that people who have issues with depression should avoid sugary foods. I for one have a bit of a sweet tooth, but I'm thinking maybe I should consider going without.

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

Hi Jordanlee,

I definitely believe there is a connection between sugar, sugary foods and some carbohydrates.

I also believe sugar is addictive, and I feel that because of a personal experience I had once.

I have found that when I eat sugars, I feel good for a while, then I hit bottom and my mood has gone from being 'up' to the pits.

I am a big coffee drinker and didn't realize that it causes mood swings. I drink my coffee with creamer and also some sugar.

I too have read the book, "Sugar Blues" I actually need to get it again and read it once more and start weening myself from sugar and caffeine as well. But the things he discussed are really good, and make sense.

Lea

[PRT 2]

I thought it was artificial sweetener that was supposed to cause depression? Maybe everything just causes it!

[melissa 0]

I have been wondering this for several years...I have been depressed for 6 years now, and had a sweet tooth for as long as I can remember. When I was in college I used to eat marshmallows for breakfast..even when I was very far down in an eating disorder I still ate sweet things, if I was going to be depressed then at least I'd have a treat!

Recently I have gone from drinking 4-8 cans of diet coke a day, to none. I think the caffeine had a major effect on my mood. Anxiety, that is. My eating disorder meant I didn't eat much so I needed the caffeine to stay awake- usually 6 cans of coke and 1 or 2 sugar-free red bull a day. I had the sugarfree ones due to calories. However I have fairly low blood sugar, and get very dizzy if I don't eat regularly, so in some ways the lack of sugar probably didn't help..I would drink a can of coke instead of having lunch.

I have read 'Potatoes not Prozac', I found it very interesting. Last year I spiralled into an eating disorder (for about the third time), then I met my (ex)boyfriend, after this my depression started to get better, but since Christmas it has been worse, and combined with a recent break-up things have not been good. I haven't really been able to follow the book, but I am eating SOMETHING every day for breakfast- I heard somewhere that even chocolate is better than skipping breakfast? -can't see a pattern yet between what I eat for breakfast and how I feel though. But I do know that when I was eating no breakfast, constantly drinking coke/red bull, and having popcorn/breadsticks for lunch and a small meal for tea I was tired/wired/anxious and felt like a dead woman walking.

I still have a lot of sugary snacks...in some ways I think what I eat will never change, and eating disorders and depression feed off each other. I suppose I am typical with sugar rushes, craving simple carbs, pasta, sugar.

I am interested to hear other people's experiences.

[uksarah 0]

I am not sure if sugar has a effect on depression but i know its a fuel for the body. I personally do not cut it out or cut back because your body converts it to energy too keep you going through the day i try to stick too the rda of sugar intake

[AngelOfTheMoor 4]

I'm not sure what I think about that. It probably depends on how sugar makes you react.

But I could see how caffeine maybe could worsen anxiety or depression. Sometimes when I drink coffee, I get really jittery. I feel jump, and my limbs feel shaky. When I'm extremely anxious or nervous, I experience the same shakiness.

I also think that being hungry (in a somewhat related vein) could relate to depression. Sometimes when I'm really hungry, I feel anxiety approaching, and occasionally I have mood swings and/or feel depressed. (I'm talking extreme hunger here.) I also can't focus when I'm hungry.

[duncan 0]

Reading these posts was interesting because it is the first time I hear that sugar might have an impact on your mood.

Myself, I don't eat many sweet things and don't use sugar in my tea. Most of the time I don't eat anything sweet at all, but sometimes I get real cravings for chocolate and the I eat a couple of bars in a row... but this only happens every two months or so. Not sure if I actually feel more down after eating them. Never noticed to be honest.

Anyway, I am depressed and I usually don't have much sugar in my system, so .... not sure if there is a relation....

Last night I ordered "potatoes,not prozac" online, a book about what foods can lift your mood or bring down your mood and about what to avoid when your're depressed. Curious what I will read there when it arrives...

[POPI 0]

I have always had a sweet tooth. Since this last panic attack/anxiety-depression episode, I have been fighting(and winning) that battle.

Sugar makes me absolutely crazy. Raises my anxiety and then makes me feel like dead weight when I come down. I stay away from it now!.POPI

[Deepster 2]

I thought it was artificial sweetener that was supposed to cause depression? Maybe everything just causes it!

I have read both pros and cons on this. So, I have developed my own strategy.....Little refined sugar intake, avoid all the "synthetic" sweateners on the market, and "pick and choose" everything you put into your body, i.e., absolutely NOTHING containing "sucrose", "high fructose corn syrup", and I am sure there are others.

If I "have" to have sweeteners, I'll chose unprocessed granular sugar first. Refined white sugar second. Beyond that I avoid all sweeteners. I'm not "artificial", so why would I add anything "artificial" to my diet?

Deepster

[Omega Man 4]

Interesting thread, and thanks all for the nutrition resources!

[americandownunder 1]

A lot depends on the form the sugar takes. As another poster commented, things like fructose and high fructose corn syrup are very bad - and white sugar is worse than brown, as I understand it.

It's like carbohydrates and fat - there are good kinds and not so good.

You can't have a diet without sugar, carbohydrates, fats, etc - but you can try and have the better ones.