David Crawford MD: How sugar affects your mood and its link to depression


David Crawford MD, a psychiatrist, believes that food can have a significant effect on your mood and emotions. Eating too much sugar may increase your risk for mood disorders, including depression.

Sugar is naturally occurring in complex carbohydrates, which includes fruits, vegetables, and grains. It is also present in its simple, refined form in foods like pasta, cakes, baked goods, soda, and candy, to name a few. The consumption of too many simple sugars is what puts you at risk for mood disorders – eating unprocessed, whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, and fish for heart and brain health is a must in warding off chronic diseases and mental health issues such as depression.

Another thing that makes simple sugar dangerous is that studies have shown that it is more addictive than cocaine – the high you get from it is stronger than the high one can get from cocaine. It is also linked to inflammation, which is linked to depression. Symptoms of inflammation are also common with depression, including appetite loss, changes in sleep patterns, and heightened perceptions of pain, leading doctors to believe that depression may be an underlying sign of inflammation problems.
 
If you wish to cut back on sugar, you need to stay away from the obvious sources, including sugar-sweetened beverages such as soda, energy drinks, and blended coffee drinks, as well as smoothies, juice drinks, and fruit juices. You can also opt for healthier desserts like fresh fruit, a square of dark chocolate, or sautéed fruit topped with cinnamon, instead of reaching for a candy bar or a scoop of ice cream. David Crawford MD also recommends swapping out your white flour, white pasta, and white rice for their whole grain versions, which cause less of a spike to your blood sugar than their simple versions. Lastly, reading food labels and being familiar with ingredients that go into your food can help you eliminate refined, simple sugar from your diet.

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