High sugar, high carbohydrate and highly processed diets have been linked to virtual every major health issue in society today, including strokes, cancers, diabetes and heart disease. Now these diets are also being linked to mental health problems.
One study by the American Journal of Public Health has confirmed that European teens who who drink more than six soft drinks per week have more mental health problems than those who drink less. No surprise to most mums I am sure, but there was also a correlation between soft drink consumption and hyperactivity.
The 10 percent of the boys and 2 percent of the girls polled who drank four soft drinks or more per day also experienced the most health problems overall.
So how does eating sugars and processed carbohydrates effect your mental health? Well it relates to the stress response in your body. The high, spiking sugar levels caused by modern diets cause insulin resistance in your body, this insulin resistance switches on the stress response in your body. Prolonged elevated stress leads to an increase in cortisol and adrenalin (the stress hormones) and a decrease in dopamine and serotonin (the feel good hormones). This leads to increased feelings of stress fear and anxiety, decreased concentration, memory and ability to learn. In fact insulin resistance has even been linked to brain degeneration and Alzheimer's disease.
So are low carbohydrate diets the way to go then? Well not necessarily. The carbohydrates and vitamins that you get from fruits and vegetables are absolutely essential for your health, which is why the Atkins style low carb diets do not make you healthy. The diet that will help to normalise your sugar and insulin levels whilst still giving you the nutrients that you need is very simple. It is the same diet eaten by your hunter gatherer ancestors. It has been eaten by people for many generations before the relatively recent move towards modern farming techniques and mass food processing.
It is very simple, healthy meats, lots of fruits and vegetables, water and healthy nuts. Keep it simple and you will think, feel and be a whole lot healthier.
Subscribe to this comment's feed
