Highly Refined Carbs May Increase Depression Risk In Women

Eating food with highly refined carbohydrates may increase the chances of new-onset depression in post-menopausal women, a new study from psychiatrists at the Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) has found out.

The facts and figures reviewed by Gangwisch and his colleagues were presented by the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study conducted by the National Institute of Health between 1994 and 1998.

Refined sustenances, for example, white bread and white rice trigger a hormonal reaction in the body to diminish glucose levels. Due to high levels of insulin, there are quick “mood changes, fatigue and other symptoms of depression”.

It is already well known that people who suffer from depression tend to crave carbohydrates.

To come to that conclusion, researchers studied data collected from over 70,000 postmenopausal women.

When people consume carbohydrates their blood sugar levels rise to varying degrees.

Columbia Psychiatry is ranked among the best departments and psychiatric research facilities in the nation and has contributed greatly to the understanding and treatment of psychiatric disorders.

The outcome of the research have suggested that certain dietary changes can actually be of great help in preventing depression, according to the study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Lead study author, Dr. James Gangwisch is convinced that dietary intervention could become a cornerstone of depression preventive measures. However, women who ate whole grains, dietary fiber, fruits and vegetables, and dairy had lower risks of severe sadness.

The researchers identified the participants’ glycemic load, their dietary glycemic index and even the types of carbohydrates they typically consume. Be that as it may, entire grain sustenances, roughage and vegetables could cut it. The results revealed that the higher these women’s glycemic index (GI) was, the higher their risk of becoming depressed was as well.

It is a fact consumption of carbohydrates raises the blood sugar levels, but the intensity differs from person to person.

The study is only preliminary, but the research team confirmed that further studies would happen in order to verify these findings, also based on larger population samples.