White bread, pasta and an increased risk of depression

The same study looked at healthier alternatives and dietary habits, including whole grains, fiber, vegetables, as well as fruit intake not coming from processed fruit juices.

Researchers studied the data taken during the National Institutes of Health’s Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study from 1994 to 1998.

Eating highly refined carbohydrates including white bread and pasta can increase the risk of depression, experts have warned.

In order to reach the findings, the researchers observed the data of around 70,000 post-menopausal women.

A study has shown post-menopausal women whose diets are high in these foods are more likely to be diagnosed with the mental illness. Most of the data they analyzed included the dietary glycemic index of individuals, their glycemic load, and the type of carbohydrates they ate. However, researchers pointed out that changes in diet could very well help in the treatment of depression.

UPI notes that carbohydrates usually raise the amount of sugar in the blood, resulting in a higher GI score.

Refined foods such as white bread, white rice, and soda trigger a hormonal response in the body to reduce blood sugar levels.

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 change in GI of the women intensified chafes in the women’s moods and initiated fatigue including other depression related symptoms.

The body produces insulin, the hormone which breaks down sugar, as a result, taking the sugar out of the blood and leading to a “crash”.

A high refined carbohydrate intake was correlated to a higher risk of onset depression, particularly for postmenopausal women.

“Randomized trials should be undertaken to examine the question of whether diets rich in low-GI foods could serve as treatments and primary preventive measures for depression in posmenopausal women”, wrote the authors of the study.