Foods That Can Have A Negative Impact On Your Mental Health
When considering the impact of food on our physical health, the discussion usually focuses on how certain foods can lead to health issues, such as heart problems, digestive disorders, or weight gain. The conversation, however, turns toward discussing the negative impact that certain foods and drinks can have on our mental health.
There are some foods and beverages that therapists and psychiatrists recommend avoiding—or consuming in moderation—to protect your mental well-being. Here are five foods and beverages that experts say can impact your mental health.
1. Multiple Cups Of Coffee Or Espresso
Coffee and espresso contain caffeine, which is said to be the most widely consumed psychoactive drug in the world. Caffeine occurs naturally in coffee, tea, chocolate, and some soft drinks, particularly dark colas. Caffeinated drinks are the “go-to” products when people want to stay awake or alert since caffeine stimulates the body’s central nervous system. Too much caffeine, however, can trigger and even heighten symptoms of anxiety.
“If a person is prone to feeling anxious or has multiple stressors, know that over-caffeination causes an increased cortisol response and can lead to adrenal fatigue, a recipe for persistent stress and burnout, not to mention sleep issues,” Dr. Brittney Jones, a licensed clinical psychologist, told HuffPost.
Matcha, a type of powdered green tea, might be a better alternative since it contains less caffeine than coffee and contains L-theanine, a compound that has been shown to relieve stress and improve mood.
2. Diet Soda
People who enjoy soda but not the amount of sugar that it contains may opt for a diet soda that is lower in sugar and calories. But trading a regular soda for a diet soda might be even worse, according to Dr. Jacques Jospitre, Jr., a board-certified psychiatrist and co-founder of SohoMD. That’s because many diet sodas contain a chemical called phenylalanine, which is “well-known to mess up brain neurochemistry by stopping the proper production of serotonin and dopamine, two molecules we need for good mood,” Dr. Jospitre told HuffPost.
Not only that, but studies have found that diet sodas raise the risk of depression, most likely due to the artificial sweeteners, like aspartame, in the drinks. According to Dr. Jospitre, aspartame is a “known neurotoxin and may raise stress hormones like cortisol, as well as increase the amount of free radicals in the brain.” Additionally, some diet sodas have caffeine, and too much caffeine can lead to anxiety or make existing anxiety symptoms worse.
3. Alcohol
Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant that can make you feel more tired and can worsen depression after you drink, according to Dr. Lauren Taylor Edwards, a board-certified psychiatrist who specializes in anxiety and stress-related disorders and has an interest in the effects of diet and nutrition on mental illness and treatment.
As a depressant, alcohol can cause a negative mood state or the dreaded “hangxiety,” which is “the period when the body is recovering from a hangover and the stress hormone, cortisol, is elevated,” Dr. Danielle Tucci, a licensed professional counselor, told HuffPost. Tucci, also the founder of Live Better Therapy Solutions, said she does her best to avoid alcohol when considering her mental health.
Additionally, drinking in excess can cause oxidative stress and inflammation in the gut and disrupt sleep patterns, all of which can affect your mood, Dr. Edwards told EatingWell.
4. Highly Processed Foods
Highly processed foods tend to have added sugars, sodium, saturated fats, salt, and high calories. Yet, they are among the most popular foods around.
For instance, toast and pancakes are favorite breakfast staples. However, toast that is made from white bread can quickly turn to blood sugar because the bread is made of highly processed white flour. The sugar can raise blood levels fast, and crashes can occur after the energy spikes, all of which can affect anxiety and depression.
Aura De Los Santos, a clinical and educational psychologist, said pancake flour from the grocery store raises her anxiety levels and affects her body.
“At breakfast time, I enjoy eating pancakes, but I have seen how my body becomes inflamed and how this generates anxiety when I eat these pancakes over two consecutive days,” De Los Santos told HuffPost. “I have trouble concentrating, my mood changes, and I don’t feel calm. Bloating is very uncomfortable, and this negatively affects my mental health.”
This is primarily due to the foods changing bacteria in the gut, which can lead to inflammation, which can cause bloating, which can contribute to depression, De Los Santos said.
5. Candy (And Sugary Foods In General)
Candy, cakes, cookies, pies, pastries, and other sugary foods can easily satisfy a sweet tooth, but eating them comes with consequences. A 2015 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that sweetened beverages, refined foods, and pastries have been linked to an increased risk of depression.
Jason Phillips, a licensed clinical social worker, said he tries to avoid candy as much as possible. “I will not eat candy like Tootsie Rolls or candy corn,” Phillips told HuffPost. “This Halloween-type of candy is very sugary, and sugar increases inflammation in the body, which is related to depression.”
More Foods That Affect Mental Health
Just because a food or beverage has the word “fruit” connected to it does not mean that it’s beneficial to your physical or mental health. Surprisingly, fruit juice is one example. Whether it’s apple, orange, or another flavor, fruit juice may sound healthy, but the beverage is high in sugar and calories. Drinking fruit juice regularly not only leads to health problems but also brings on anxiety and depression when your blood sugar spikes and crashes just as fast.
However, not all sugar is unhealthy and linked to depression. Natural sugar, like the kind found in fruit, is more healthy. One study found that people who snack on fruit are less likely to report symptoms of depression.
What can also compromise mental health are frozen foods, mental health experts say. Frozen meals can contribute to inflammation in the gut, which is where most serotonin (the happy neurotransmitter) is produced, Matt Glowiak, a licensed clinical professional counselor, told HuffPost. And, when “serotonin is compromised, so is mental health.”
Glowiak said he has had negative reactions to frozen foods.
“Upon consumption of ‘healthy’ frozen dinners, I would always feel like I ate a healthy thing and would have more energy in the short term, but then I would experience a crash and a combination of mild depression and anxiety,” he said. “Now, I just stay away and opt for preparing whole foods.”
Mental health experts said it’s not necessary to stop consuming certain foods or beverages altogether, so they recommend knowing which foods and beverages will boost your mood and which ones will bring on feelings of anxiety or depression.
“I think understanding patterns and reasoning as opposed to memorizing ‘bad’ versus ‘good’ foods is a better way to think about nutrition,” Edwards told EatingWell.
Source Links:
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/foods-for-mental-health_l_64667c76e4b035573934d585
https://www.webmd.com/balance/ss/slideshow-feel-better
https://www.eatingwell.com/article/7912675/worst-foods-for-your-mood/