High Glycemic Index Diet Associations With Depression

For many years, Doctor and Psychologist have noticed a link between mental and physical health. However, it has never caused any major concerns until now, when the question of how an individuals mental health such as depression could later affect their physical health such as heart problems. In an article “Depression May Be As Bad For The Heart As Obesity” by Carolyn Gregoire digs a little deeper into how a persons’ state of mind can affect their physical health. Gregoire’s article is largely effective by presenting critical information in an organized way, important topics, and language that can be understood by any audience, but does have a weakness with the change in tone.

They are then to follow the glycemic index called “The Atkins Glycemic Ranking“. This index ranks new foods to be introduced into the diet that will not significantly raise insulin levels.

Energy is essential for survival, and the human body is remarkably efficient at utilizing different energy sources. The body can obtain energy from glucose when consuming a normal carbohydrate diet, or from ketone bodies when consuming a ketogenic diet. This is an alternative source of energy that the body will use when 5% (or less) of total kcal come from carbohydrates. Metabolic processes differ depending on the energy source. One application of understanding the metabolic processes is the imprevment of glycemic control and stop of medications use under a low carbohydrate ketogenic diet. with type II diabetes can

New research (Journal of Neuroscience, Dec 2006) demonstrating the link between serotonin levels and our ability to appreciate the salt and bitterness of food explains why carbohydrate cravings and weight gain are so closely associated with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

Foods with lower glycemic index. The glycemic index is a measurement of how long it takes for the glucose in the food to go into your bloodstream. In addition, the lower the glycemic index, the longer it will take for one to become hungry again. Foods with a low glycemic index include pasta, corn, oatmeal, and wheat bread. Rice should be avoided.

Simple carbohydrates (Sweetened beverages, white bread, white rice) raise the sugar in the bloodstream, releasing a quick boost of energy. The effect of an excessive intake of simple sugars on the brain has shown to be similar to that of drug abuse. While carbohydrates can improve feeling of happiness, the outcome is almost worse than how the person was feeling before. Those who constantly consume sugars may experience fatigue, dizziness, insomnia, and, of course, depression after the crash.

During her four months spent in Italy, Gilbert explored the impacts of food on one’s health and overall happiness. Pasta, the staple meal and often the symbol of Italy, is a so-called “comfort food” – foods that provide consolation or a feeling of well-being, often high in sugar and carbohydrates. The American depression rate is approximately 9.6%, a significantly greater amount than Italy’s 3.8%. Important to note is Italy’s Mediterranean diet, high in fish and shellfish, which are both high in a fatty acid called docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an essential building block for the brain structure. According to a study conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), there is a link between DHA deficiency and an increase in the prevalence of depression in the United States. One’s diet has a huge influence on their happiness and well-being; perhaps if Americans had a more balanced diets, our nation’s depression rate would show a decrease.

The glycemic index measures the amount of glucose in a particular food. The comparative value of the amount of glucose released in a three hour period is quantified into a number so calorie-conscious people or diabetics can gauge their sugar intakes. Low GI foods are either less sweet or contain more complex carbohydrates that digest slower, affecting blood sugar levels

Several studies (N = 7) examined associations of depressive symptoms and binge eating in both clinical and non-clinical samples. In a sample of 84 German obese women (40 with BED, 44 non-BED), BED patients reported higher depressive symptoms than non-BED subjects (Schulz & Laessle, 2010). Further, in the BED group, depressive symptoms were significantly related to emotional eating and negatively related to restraint. In addition, participants reported experiencing worse mood on binge eating days than on nonbinge days. (Schulz & Laessle, 2010). A study, including 390 first-year male and female students, which investigated the role binge eating play in mood regulation reported that, contrary to expectation, negative affect did not decrease, but

I do agree with the book that the glycemic index and body weight are positively associated with each other. I feel that the glycemic index is controlled by looking at the glycemic reaction of food with the glycemic reaction to a similar measure of accessible sugar from a standard food in a similar person. I feel that the actual glycemic index value is the zone under the blood glucose curve for the test food. The glycemic index of a food is affected by the idea of the measure of fiber, fat, and protein. Sticking to a low glycemic index eating routine may help anticipate conditions like diabetes and heart disease, yet it's not sure that this eating routine can enable you to get more fit any better or quicker over a low-fat.

The Human body needs glucose to perform many important body functions, however too much glucose within the system, provided by foods high in sugar content, can become problematic and even life-threatening. Diabetes mellitus, more specifically type II, is becoming more prominent among younger generations and this could be due to the increased consumption of higher glycemic index foods. To fully understand how the body responds and adjusts to glucose levels, a group of physiology students at Oklahoma State University were subjected to five different types of treatments, with water serving as the control, to test the effect of plasma glucose concentration over time. Treatments consisted of a 10 oz. glucose solution, two slices of white bread,

Multivariate analysis is tested using logistic regression analysis to investigate the association of obesity/overweight with frequent mental distress (FMD) and other covariates such as age, sex, race, employment status, regular exercise, cigarette smoking, general health, physical health, unable to do activities, depressive disorder and diabetes. Each of the independent variables was separately used to predict FMD. This was followed by a multivariable model, where all the variables were simultaneously introduced. Finally, separate multivariable analyses were performed after stratifying for the significant covariates and interaction variables to get parsimonious model. All the independent variables were binary or categorical with two or three categories.

A glycemic load table or a glycemic index indicates how fast the body metabolizes various food intakes. The process of breaking down food into glucose, absorbing it into the blood stream, and returning blood sugar levels back to normal after an intake of food is measured through the glycemic response. How long and the magnitude of which each of these processes takes will determine whether a food has a low or high glycemic response (Whitney 110).

Allen, K, Mori, T, Beilin, L, Byrne, S, Hickling, S, & Oddy, W 2013, 'Dietary intake in population-based adolescents: support for a relationship between eating disorder symptoms, low fatty acid intake and depressive symptoms', Journal Of Human Nutrition & Dietetics, 26, 5, pp. 459-469, Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 24 April 2014.

Glycated hemoglobin provides an accurate and objective measure of glycemic control over a period of weeks to months. The rate of formation of HbA1C is directly proportional to the ambient blood glucose concentration; a rise of 1% in HbA1c corresponds to an approximate