Carbohydrates and seratonin

[hedgehog]

I attempted the SOuth Beach Diet which involves several phases. Phase 1 just about eliminates carbohydrates: no bread, no rice, no grains, no fruits, no corn , no potatoes and of course no sugar. I lasted about 3 days. I wasn't hungry, but all my worst depressive symptoms came roaring back despite my medications. When I added some carbs the next day, the symptoms subsided.

So, I think my depressive symptoms are very dependent on my diet. I only started gaining weight when I developed severe depression. So my question is, is there a particular medication that addresses the seratonin-carbohydrate connection?

[Droopy]

1. I'm on a diet and I have lost 50 pounds since August

I don't count carbs and I don't eat a protein heavy diet. I basically just count calories. I have allotted myself 2000 calories a day. I eat anything I want just so long as I don't go over 2000 calories. Pretty simple. It's like Weight Watchers without the fee and the support group.

I was 287 pounds and I'm a moderately active, 35 year old male. I looked up how many calories it would take to sustain my weight and it turned out to be 3500 a day. I just went from there.

And, btw. The diet hasn't hurt my mental well being.

[TZ]

2. I would think it would be hard to find something like that

The link between a brain chemical and something that we intake is a bit shaky/indirect...Its possible that your body is very sensitive to carbs though...There's a strong link to the immune system to the GI tract. So its possible that the diet caused some immune reaction/stess which CAN indeed bring on depressive episodes.
I would guess a low carb diet is just not good for you. Some people just don't do well on them. But consult your doctor about it. Its also possible there is another health issue which is causing depression like symptoms....

[eShirl]

3. there is a carb-serotonin connection, apparently, (link)

http://monique7nuns.wordpress.com/2007/05/15/why-are-potatoes-so-bad/

"Some researchers say such high-carbohydrate foods soothe the brain by raising levels of the feel-good neurotransmitter serotonin. Judith Wurtman, M.D., a leading carbohydrate researcher at MIT, says many people who avoid sugars and starches have “serotonin hunger” that makes them depressed and likely to binge.

"San Francisco nutritionist Kathleen DesMaisons even titled her recent book Potatoes Not Prozac. The idea: For millions of “sugar-sensitive” people, carbohydrates like potatoes are antidepressants. She recommends a plain baked potato at bedtime to lift your mood and aid sleep. She insists such complex carbohydrates can help fight overeating and addictions, including alcoholism."

[DemExpat]

4. Everybody is different pertaining to best diet IMO.

I feel very much better now that I am following a low-carb eating program - basically just getting my carbs from lots of vegetables - no grains, potatoes or sugars at this time.

The first week was tough - felt very much on edge - not unlike kicking an addiction (mildly!) - but now I feel better than I have in years.

Best of all, my indigestion discomforts are gone, and I am not constantly hungry (even right after eating!) as I have been. Energy is much more even-keeled, and I don't get sleepy after every meal like I usually do. And my sleeping is better now as well.

Even if it doesn't help me lost weight I plan to keep up with this way of eating - it helps me feel much better generally.

Doctor and author Caroline Myss believes as we get older many of us need less carbs - certainly refined carbs in all forms.

I have noticed in all my years of trying to find my "perfect" eating combo that I get really depressed if I try a low-fat diet. They were always a disaster for me.

Maybe try getting past those first 3 days, hedgehog - see how you feel after 1 week to 10 days, and maybe gradually lessen the carbs for a few days before eating very low-carb. I felt really crappy from day 2 to about day 6.

It takes time to adjust to different food combinations, maybe you'll know for sure if it is or isn't for you if you can give it a bit longer. At least you know that when you are feeling bad adjusting you can always take the carbs to end the depression. So at that time maybe take a dose of carbs and then get back to low-carb. Do it YOUR way.

DemEx

[qb]

5. I'm on a low-carb diet and SSRI

I was a little out-of-sorts and had indigestion the first week, but feel fine now. Some benefits of a low-carb diet:
1. It forces your body to burn fat rather than easily-accessible carbs.
2. Calorie-for-calorie, fat+protein satisfies your hunger longer than carbs.
3. You can eat as many low-carb vegetables as you want.