Are you experiencing Christmas depression?/ Here's what you need to know

2023-12-25 18:23:00, Shëndeti CNA

Feeling melancholy or even depressed during the holiday season? Maybe it's time to say goodbye to the sweets of the day to regain your good mood.

The added sugars found in Christmas candy may be responsible for the metabolic, inflammatory and neurobiological processes associated with depression, suggests a study by a team of clinical psychologists at the University of Kansas.

The researchers arrived at the above link by analyzing a wide range of studies on the physical and psychological consequences of consuming added sugars, comparing it to alcohol abuse.

Sugars, which are similar in nature to alcohol, should be avoided by depressed people and replaced by a healthy diet.

How is sugar consumption linked to depression?

Researchers found that internal inflammation, a result of a high-sugar diet, is linked to mental health and depressive episodes.

"A large number of patients with depression have high levels of systemic inflammation," explains Dr. Ilardi. "When we think of inflammatory diseases, our mind goes to diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis, diseases with a high level of systemic inflammation. We don't classify depression as such, but it turns out that it really is, for at least half of the depressed population. In addition, we know that inflammatory hormones can push the brain into a state of intense depression. So an irritated brain is usually a depressed brain, and added sugars have a pro-inflammatory effect on the body and brain."

Researchers also found a link between sugar consumption and pathogenic microorganisms in the human body.

"In addition to the beneficial ones, there are also some pathogenic microorganisms, simply parasites, which benefit from the presence of sugars and can produce chemicals that cause anxiety, stress and depression", explains the researcher.

According to Dr. Ilardi, a diet rich in plant foods and omega-3 fatty acids and minimally processed foods would provide optimal psychological benefit.

As for sugar, he recommends caution year-round, not just during the holidays, and a daily intake of no more than 25 grams of added sugars, according to the American Heart Association's guidelines./ CNA