Low-carbohydrate and ketogenic diets have been very helpful for people having stubborn physical health problems like Type 2 diabetes and obesity. But these types of diets may not only be beneficial to people having physical health problems; they may also be helpful to those who have psychological issues.
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The field of nutritional psychiatry is admittedly in its infancy, and rigorous clinical trials exploring the effect of dietary changes on mental health are few and far between, but a tremendous amount of science already exists detailing how high-sugar diets jeopardize brain health and how low-carbohydrate diets support brain health.
For people with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, ADHD, psychotic disorders, PTSD, autism spectrum disorders and other psychiatric disorders who prefer not to take medication, don’t improve with medication, can’t tolerate or afford medication, only partially benefit from medication, or have bothersome side effects from medication, trying a simple low-carbohydrate diet (or even a stricter ketogenic diet, particularly in cases of more serious or stubborn chronic symptoms) is well worth trying, with very few exceptions.
So what are the benefits of a low-carb or ketogenic diet in promoting mental health? Georgia Ede of Psychology Today lists 8 of these benefits. One of the benefits is that these types of diets stabilize hormones and appetite:
Refined carbohydrates like sugar, flour, fruit juice, and processed cereals place your hormones on an invisible internal roller coaster. Every time your blood sugar and insulin spike to unnaturally high levels, they soon crash back down, triggering the release of stress hormones, including adrenaline. Adrenaline surges, which can occur four to five hours after consuming too much sugar, can contribute to panicky “hypoglycemic” symptoms like anxiety, sweating, shaking, irritability, difficulty concentrating, and carbohydrate cravings. Low-carbohydrate diets help smooth out highs and lows in blood sugar that lead to hormonal instability in the first place. Protect your precious neurons from hormonal havoc.
Check out the rest over at Psychology Today.
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Source: neatorama