Can a junk food diet increase your risk of depression?
Answer From Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
Depression and diet may be related. Several studies have found that people who ate a poor-quality diet — one that was high in processed meat, chocolates, sweet desserts, fried food, refined cereals and high-fat dairy products — were more likely to report symptoms of depression. The good news is that the people who ate a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and fish were less likely to report being depressed.

These results are in line with other research findings that healthy diets help protect against disease. For example, studies suggest that people who follow a Mediterranean diet — which emphasizes fruits, vegetables and fish, and limits meat and dairy products — have lower rates of depression and other diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, diabetes and heart disease.

More research is needed on the connection between depression and diet. In the meantime, it would be wise to cut back on the less nutritious options and make healthier choices.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-co ... ion-and-diet/faq-20058241


Study Links Depression and Anxiety to High Sugar Diets

Men in the top third for sugar consumption were 23 percent more likely to experience depression or anxiety over the next five years.

We're becoming increasingly aware of sugar's negative effects on the body. But we still tend to think of them as physical effects, such as increased risk for diabetes and obesity. A connection between sugar and poor mental health might seem counterintuitive—especially given how much Americans seem to like comforting themselves with sweet food. A new study, however, found that men who consume high levels of sugar are more likely to develop depression or anxiety compared to those with low-sugar diets.

The findings come from an analysis by researchers at University College London of questionnaires submitted by more than 5,000 men and 2,000 women in the United Kingdom from 1983 to 2013. Participants reported on their diet and lifestyle, including surveys about their mental health and information about their weight and height.

Researchers used the reports to estimate how much sugar people were eating daily; the top third of participants were consuming more than 67 grams of added sugar, while the bottom third consumed less than 39.5 grams. (There are about 4 grams of sugar in one teaspoon.) According to the National Diet and Nutrition Survey published in 2013, men in the UK get about 75 percent of that added sugar from sweet foods and beverages.
https://tonic.vice.com/en_us/article/5 ... xiety-to-high-sugar-diets


What, exactly, is going on inside our brain when we take a bite of that fudge cheesecake?

[Article]
I found a cool site called “Food for the Brain” that offers this simple explanation:

Eating lots of sugar is going to give you sudden peaks and troughs in the amount of glucose in your blood; symptoms that this is going on include fatigue, irritability, dizziness, insomnia, excessive sweating (especially at night), poor concentration and forgetfulness, excessive thirst, depression and crying spells, digestive disturbances and blurred vision. Since the brain depends on an even supply of glucose it is no surprise to find that sugar has been implicated in aggressive behavior, anxiety, and depression, and fatigue.

Lots of refined sugar and refined carbohydrates (meaning white bread, pasta, rice and most processed foods,) is also linked with depression because these foods not only supply very little in the way of nutrients but they also use up the mood enhancing B vitamins; turning each teaspoon of sugar into energy needs B vitamins. In fact, a study of 3,456 middle-aged civil servants, published in British Journal of Psychiatry found that those who had a diet which contained a lot of processed foods had a 58% increased risk for depression, whereas those whose diet could be described as containing more whole foods had a 26% reduced risk for depression.

Sugar also diverts the supply of another nutrient involved in mood – chromium. This mineral is vital for keeping your blood sugar level stable because insulin, which clears glucose from the blood, can’t work properly without it.
https://psychcentral.com/blog/why-sugar-is-dangerous-to-depression/

I learned a long time ago that purity is power. This is the chemical age in which we live. The message is that chemicals are good. Food tastes better and lasts longer. Drugs treat our symptoms and allow us to feel normal for awhile.

The more chemical free my diet the better I end up feeling and the better this body is able to heal itself. But do you're own research as always. Lots of articles on how people reversed a lot of their problems by changing their diets as a good start.

The more bad stuff we eat the harder our bodies have to work to process it and sometimes has to put some healing on hold in order to deal with emergency junk foods or high starch, processing. Eating clean allows our bodies to quickly digest food and then focus on more on overall healing. This can be difficult because we usually continue to eat the way our parents fed us. Habits start as cobwebs and over time become cables.