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Foods That Make People Depressed

There are many causes for depression, and food is often one of them. Although certain foods may taste good and provide a temporary burst of energy, intake and withdrawal from certain foods can create a depressing feeling. This can be especially true in compulsive eaters and those with eating disorders.

  1. Sugar

    • In the "Lethbridge Undergraduate Research Journal," Marie-Hélène Lyle classifies white, processed sugar as a type of narcotic depressant. In some cases, she postures that "sugar junkies" can experience a sugar withdrawal the same way alcoholics experience alcohol withdrawal. Sugar can affect both the mind and body by creating mood swings and causing weight gain. Dr. Annette Nay says sugar causes the body to go on a chemical high, temporarily lifting the mood. When the sugar high subsides, this mood elevation is gone, causing the eater to enter a state of depression until they can consume more sugar.

    Caffeine

    • According to Dr. Daniel Hall-Flavin of Mayo Clinic, individuals who are sensitive to caffeine may experience depression initiated by caffeine. Although caffeine itself may not be to blame, since Dr. Hall-Flavin says there is no direct link between caffeine and depression, some people become depressed from loss of sleep due to caffeine intake. Caffeine can also trigger depression if the consumer is addicted or dependent upon caffeine and stops drinking it. They might find they get more irritable and experience headaches and fatigue upon quitting caffeine. Caffeine is found in soda, energy drinks and coffee, as well as chocolate and some chewing gum.

    Starchy Foods

    • FoodForTheBrain.org suggests a high intake of fatty and starchy foods enriched with refined carbohydrates, such as white pasta, bread and rice, can stimulate a depressive state. When an individual eats these foods, the vitamin B in their bodies is used to turn the refined sugar and carbohydrates into energy, thus depleting their real energy and causing a downwards mood swing. Such activity can also cause the consumer to crave more refined carbohydrates, thus compouding the depression and causing weight gain and fatigue.

    Fast Foods

    • It's no secret that a large intake of fast foods can cause weight gain, but it can also initiate depression. The high oil and fat concentration in fast food contributes to an unhealthy mental state, causing eaters to become depressed after eating a lot of fatty fast food. According to ThatsFit.com, the University College London found fast food to be 58 percent more likely to cause depression than foods that contained healthy omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants.

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