Does sugar in foods cause depression ?

Question

I am always getting depressed and I am still taking anti-deprsion

Answer 1

I think that sugar can give you a high and then a low on the other end

Answer 2

Sugar in and of itself doesn't cause depression. But there are some interesting facts I've found out through personal experience.

Having sugar and caffienne in the late afternoon and evening can keep you from getting a good night's sleep. Keep that up for a while, and it can make your depression worse.

If you eat lots of sugar, it will, of course, have a blossoming effect on your weight. That can cause you to have a poor self-image, feel physically sick, have low energy, and keep you from feeling alert and healthy. All of those things are more prevailant in people who have depression, so the sugar isn't helping.

Common sense tells us that the types of people who eat a lot of sugar are (in general) not the type of people who have super-healthy lifestyles otherwise. This means you may not exercise, eat right, take your meds, get all your vitamins and nutrients, all that stuff. And all of those things can be affected by depression, and can also worsen depression.

I've been taught that if you drastically limit the sugar and caffienne intake, it can help depression by helping with those other aspects. What has worked for me (and what is standard procedure in behavioral health centers) is no more than 1 sugary snack a day, no more than two sodas a day, and no caffienne or sugar after around 7 p.m.

Sugars from fruits and other healthy foods aren't included in what I'm talking about.

Also, I want to mention (I'm a BIG advocate for this) that you include therapy in your treatment. For most people, the anti-depressant isn't enough, if they truly have a serious form of depression. (This doesn't necessarily apply for people who have postpartum depression, or just have the blues or are in a funk)

Good luck!

Added: This is all for people with clinical depression. If you had a bad day, and that's what you mean by being "depressed", nothing works better to sooth a lot of people (especially women) than a box of quality chocolates. :-)

Answer 3

Yes absolutley. Taking in something that contains a large amount of refined sugar(which is most processed food)will unbalance your blood sugar levels which have a direct affect on your mood. Theres also chemicals in processed foods(additives, preservatives etc)that mess with the chemicals in your brain which can make you depressed. Try cutting back on sugar and eating only whole foods i.e. foods that are unrefined and contain only 1 ingrediant(brown rice, vegetables, meat) and i guarantee youll feel a lot better. I know cutting back on sugar is hard but done gradually its not so tough and after a while you loose the taste for it. good luck

Answer 4

yes - it can.

for every high there is a low.....
perhaps your problem and it's solution is not medicinal....

maybe you have some very good reasons to be depressed.
it's not exactly a happy time in America right now....
sometimes medicating ourselves is not the best answer.

It bothers me when people get medication for depression without a fair amount of counseling.... depressed people benefit so much from therapy and so little from medications....

A good counselor / therapist / psycholoGIST (not an overpaid drug dealer) can help you to figure out how much of your depression is situational and how much of it is chemical.

Answer 5

i wouldn't blame the sugar. if you haven't been on the anti-depressant long, give it time to get in your system. otherwise talk to your doctor. maybe you need a different type of anti-depressant. i tried 5 different kinds til one doctor diagnosed me as bipolar and prescribed me the right medication.

Answer 6

Well take it for what it's worth, every time I have a lot of dark bitter chocolate I definitely get depressed.

Answer 7

Yes, sugars effect on the blood sugar has been directly linked to mood.

P.S. To the retard who made the chocolate comment, chocolate is not sugar.

Answer 8

Go back to your doctor discuss your continuing symptoms, forget about the sugar

Answer 9

if your on anti depressants you better check with your doctor maybe you need your dosage adjusted.yes, sugar can cause depression as well as hyperactivity.

Answer 10

no, chocolate is suppose to increase a good mood.
Get u some b12 vitamins and melt under your tongue.