The scientific research on how the physiological effects of dietary sugar and refined carbs contribute to depression and greatly influence whether a person can recover successfully over the long term without dependence on medications.
You’ve no doubt seen the television ads warning “this is your brain on drugs”. These public service announcements are designed to be visually shocking thereby discouraging youth drug abuse by comparing the brain to an egg and a fried egg in a pan to a brain on drugs.
The same can be said about the effects of sugar on the brain. In the case of sugar, however, the effects are marked by a high risk of long term mental illness like depression rather than a brief yet dangerous, drug-induced high.
Depression is at epidemic proportions in our modern society. Even children are not immune! Some experts estimate that 1 in every 8 teenagers is clinically depressed.
What’s more, major depression is on track to become the #2 disability in the United States. This is roughly 1/4 of the population who will suffer its devastating impact sometime during their lives.
Are Antidepressant Drugs the Answer?
When the sobering diagnosis of depression is given, the typical remedy given by doctors is a script for antidepressant drugs.
According to Nora Gedgaudas, author of Primal Body Primal Mind, antidepressant drugs only have about a 13% effectiveness rate, just slightly better than a placebo.
Moreover, for the small minority of people for whom antidepressants actually help, 30-40% of them will not find antidepressant drugs effective over the long term.
Bottom line? If you are depressed, don’t look to drugs as the long term solution especially if you want to maintain a normal sex life. Antidepressants are well known to significantly dampen or even completely eliminate libido!
Instead of drugs, look to your diet as the best long term solution to depression.
Are You A Carbovore?
Diet has a tremendous impact on the development of depression and whether or not the sufferer successfully recovers long term. For some unknown reason, however, this basic truth is consistently ignored by most conventional medical authorities other than the possible suggestion of a doctor’s office recommended supplement of industrialized fish oil capsules!
Imbalanced, unstable, surging blood sugar is a common source of depression as well as simple irritability and violent tendencies according to Ms. Gedguadas, a board-certified Nutritional Therapist and Clinical Neurofeedback Specialist.
Doubt that blood sugar plays a huge role in brain health?
Consider that Alzheimer’s patients are notorious for having a voracious sweet tooth. Eating sweets on a frequent basis with the accompanying blood sugar surges depletes magnesium in the body at a rapid rate. This physiological state leaves the brain vulnerable to the ravages of aluminum.
A high aluminum level in the brain is, of course, a hallmark symptom of Alzheimer’s Disease.
How Sugar Destabilizes the Brain
Blood sugar surges actually destabilize the brain via the deadly process of glycation.
In layman’s terms, glycation is the chemical process in the body whereby glucose, proteins, and certain fats become tangled together making all manner of body tissue stiff and inflexible – including the brain.
Glycation is a big free radical problem in the body causing rapid aging. In neurological terms, glycation has the very real potential of actually shrinking brain tissue.
Absolutely nothing is more destabilizing to the brain than surging blood sugar which results in rampant glycation in the body.
Case in point: Have you ever noticed how your temper gets really short after that mid-afternoon candy bar? Similarly, this is why kids get so moody and disruptive when a teacher ironically and misguidedly gives them candy as a reward for good attention.
Ms. Gedgaudas maintains that blood sugar issues are the #1 influencing factor in mental health with depression being one of the most prominent.
Avoiding the devastating effects of glycation upon the brain which can over the long haul, cause mental illness like depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders requires stable, steady blood sugar as much as possible.
Whole Dietary Fats Stabilize Blood Sugar
Surging blood sugar levels caused by overconsumption of grain-based foods, processed sugars, and even alcohol in the diet is the most destabilizing force the brain can experience. In fact, sugar can cause liver cirrhosis just the same as booze.
Conversely, natural dietary fats are the most stabilizing neurological force giving way to clear thinking and stable emotions.
The best dietary fats for blood sugar control are those consumed liberally by Traditional Societies which experienced vibrant health and suffered little to no mental illness or degenerative disease. These are the very same fats that are typically shunned by most people in favor of factory fats like margarine which are not favorable to brain function and should be avoided.
Traditional fats must be consumed liberally in the diet to achieve mental stability, however.
Lowfat Diets = Neurological Instability
Think about the makeup of the brain if this point is concerning to you in any way. Consider that 60-80% of the brain is fat, a full 50% of which is saturated fat!
11% of the brain is arachidonic acid. This nutrient is best found in egg yolks. 25% of the brain is DHA an omega-3 fat best found in oily fish. Flax oil is a poor substitute as it converts very inefficiently to true DHA.
How much of the brain under healthy, normal circumstances is actually composed of highly processed, polyunsaturated fats which are the primary fat in the Western diet?
How about none!
If you want to adopt the wise and time tested strategy of eating properly for your brain’s sake, then you must eat the type of fats that actually comprise the make-up of the brain. Doesn’t this just make sense?
These brain-building fats include:
- Butter
- Cream
- Store-bought or homemade ghee
- Coconut Oil
- High vitamin cod liver oil
- Tallow/Suet/Lard
- Egg Yolks
Interesting that these are the very same fats demonized by politically correct nutrition, don’t you think?
These nourishing, traditional fats are the ones to seek and consume liberally if you wish to put depression behind you for good.
For more details on the healthiest fats to consume and the ones you absolutely can’t do without if you want peak mental fitness, please see this article about five healthy fats to have in your kitchen.
By slaying the sugar monster, you can save your brain too .. and possibly even your life!
References
Primal Body Primal Mind by Nora Gedgaudas
2010 Wise Traditions Conference, seminar by Nora Gedgaudas
More Information
Natural Remedies for Panic Attacks
Fix Childhood Anxiety with Simple Dietary Changes
Thanks, Sarah, for the information on sugar, as well as fats, which I find really supports the logic of how my family and I have been eating. One thing though. Could you please give me some reassurance that Kombucha is OK with all that sugar in it?!? We drink it a lot, as we follow your advice and that of the Nourishing Traditions Cookbook. I perhaps haven’t looked in the right place, but is there scientific evidence that you are aware of that truly supports the idea that the sugar is consumed or converted to a healthy substance in the fermentation process? Thanks again for all you do.
Depression: Your Brain on Sugar http://t.co/FUwmBoaR
I suffered SEVERELY with major depression, for many years. I am a Christian, and quite devout in my faith. I don’t want to sound unkind, but in my experience, telling people with depression to “just pray” or anything of that nature, just depresses a depressed person even more. When a person is in the throes of depression, they do NOT believe they are loved–by God, or anyone. They feel abandoned. But (at least in my case) in the back of their minds they KNOW they want and need God. And that upsets the depressed person even more! It’s a horrible situation to be in, and it seems that there is no way out. Jesus CAN heal, but most often, that is not the case. Best advice I have is to say, if anything at ALL, that you will pray for them–then hand them something practical that they can use! Offer to look into nutritional healing. Offer to make a healthy meal for them. Tell them about testing for the nutrients they might be missing so that they can heal. BRING them to a natritionally oriented physician (they will not go on their own). I love Jesus, but to say, or imply, that a depressed person just isn’t living their faith is condescending and insulting, and shows that the person saying that really has no clue about this problem. Just an FYI for anyone who needs it. Not referring to any specific posts here.
This makes a lot of sense. I am suffering from depression now and have been since my son was born 5 months ago. I also find I am often left searching for words that should come easily in conversation. Plus some arthritis has come on (stiff and painful joints all over) that I never used to have. With all that going on I often get “What are you doing to attract this to yourself? Everything happens by law of attraction so you’re bringing on these problems, just think yourself out of it and be positive!” OK that is like telling someone they aren’t connected enough to their faith or they would be healthy (so far no one has questioned my faith). It’s not helping my state of mind or body, just makes me feel guilty. So I totally agree with you Marilyn. And…I have been eating more baked goods and fruits during this time than before I got pregnant. Sarah, I will reduce the sugars/grains and bring on the fats and see what happens!
Isn’t that the truth! The two times I’ve suffered from mental disorders I was encouraged to pray more. The first time I was severely depressed and contemplating suicide. It wasn’t until someone suggested stopping my birth control pills that the depression went away (almost immediately I felt normal again!) The next time, the OCD I had suffered from my whole life escalated and I couldn’t leave my house. As strong as my faith and love for God is, praying until I was drained didn’t help. It wasn’t until I turned my back on my low-fat vegan diet and added coconut oil, raw dairy, pastured butter, eggs and meat back into my diet (and eliminated gluten) that the OCD was overcome. Why do Christians forget we are body, mind and spirit???
Depression: Your Brain on Sugar. Get the facts- prescription drugs do not offer best solution. http://t.co/D4wG8p7a #depression #nutrition
Depression: Your Brain on Sugar http://t.co/d8Z95ZFK
Since we are one, yes all of it goes together- the physical, spiritual, mental, emotional. Neglect one and the rest are all affected negatively.
All the testimonial comments with this post are fantastic … anyone reading this who is struggling with depression is hopefully very motivated by all of the personal stories of depression and recovery by incorporating Traditional Fats liberally into the diet which crowds out those mind numbing sugars/refined carbs which are stealing so many people’s lives unnecessarily.
A few years ago, after coming to terms with the signs that I was losing a twenty year battle with depression, I went on medication. I had never taken any meds for depression. Once the honeymoon of not wanting to hang myself every few months wore off, it was glaringly clear that there are alot of side effects to antidpressants. But, the side effects out weighted the ailment, that’s what I was resigned to believing, anyhow. Fast forward to a little over a year ago when I incorporated a paleo/primal lifestyle into mine and my family’s life, I’ve been off the meds for close to a year, with far better results than when on them (we had a very SAD household).
As a teenager and young adult I battled an eating disorder, which if I did eat, was high carb and barely any fat. Remembering the cycles of crazy up and down depressions and the nightmares that my body went through makes me so grateful to have found a solution!
High carb + low fat= mental illness. No joke!!