Beyond increasing your risk of obesity, diabetes, and related diseases, junk food specifically items rich in refine carbohydrates ups your risk of depression, a study has revealed.
Researchers at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) looked at the dietary glycemic index, glycemic load, types of carbohydrates consumed, and depression in data from more than 70,000 postmenopausal women and found that diet high in refined carbohydrates may lead to an increased risk for new-onset depression in postmenopausal women.
The study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and carried out by James Gangwisch, PhD and colleagues in the department of psychiatry at the university found that consumption of carbohydrates increases blood sugar levels to varying degrees, depending on the type of food ingested.
Further, the more highly refined the carbohydrate, the higher its score on the glycemic index (GI) scale. The GI scale, which goes from 0-100, measures the amount of sugar found in the blood after eating.
Refined foods such as white bread, white rice, and soda trigger a hormonal response in the body to reduce blood sugar levels. This response may also cause or exacerbate mood changes, fatigue and other symptoms of depression.
The investigators found that progressively higher dietary GI scores and consumption of added sugars and refined grains were associated with increased risk of new-onset depression in post-menopausal women.
Greater consumption of dietary fiber, whole grains, vegetables and non-juice fruits was associated with decreased risk. This suggests that dietary interventions could serve as treatments and preventive measures for depression.
Further study is needed to examine the potential of this novel option for treatment and prevention, and to see if similar results are found in the broader population.
What this report does not reveal is that any nutrient in excessive quantities can cause this problem.
Carbs definitely do not help. No one nutrient can help, because one nutrient alone would lead to improper diet which would cause obesity and that is why it is important to have a balanced diet.
When i was obese, any particular type of food repeatedly always caused problems. Then i went on a proper diet of lisa plog and lost 22 pounds. Google for “lisa plog diet plans” to find her diet.
It is very important to look into the diet instead of just having the same food.