Can you believe a study funded by McCain Foods, the maker of a third of the world's chips has concluded that Atkin's lc diet can cause depression during the winter. They claim that carbs create seratonin which is needed to ward off depression during the winter months. Which may in fact be true. I don't really know. But, as soon as I saw who funded the research I pretty much gave little credence to the results.

I would have given this article the benefit of the doubt if it hadn't been funded by one of the world's largest chip manufacturers. It is interesting, though, that that fact was presented right up front instead of buried deeper in the article. Maybe the author was trying to offer balanced information to let the reader decide its credibility instead of slanting the info toward the results.


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I do think the article has some merit. I felt alot happier after increasing my healthy carb intake.

But, maybe you'd feel even better, if you ate a bag of potato chips

lol I dont think so,they would like you to believe that. Everybody wants to make a buck!

Lol....I feel the best I have in years being on Low Carb...I have had so many boughts of depression over the years and I think my eating had something to do with it. McCain can go play in traffic (and take there chips with them too!)

I have heard that seratonin imbalances can cause depression, but so does eating a bag of potato chips and seeing that scale rise a couple pounds!!

I dont know about you guys, but I sure feel alot better not being addicted to food and weighing 20 lbs less.

Low Carbing makes you feel sad --- <as Dr.Evil would say> Riiiiiiight.

Every time I step on that scale and think of what it read March 31st of this year - I get a real good feeling!

A persons mood can be influenced by may factors: family situation, friends, work, finances, self-image. A person losing weight will almost always be happier than they have been.

Now if those 'chips' are laced with some drugs - well, all bets are off.
Maybe we should ask for an nutrution label?

There is well researched merit to this.

I have a book called "Potatoes Not Prozac" written by Phd Kathleen DeMaisions.

Serotonin is made from the amino acid Tryptophan. Tryptophan need carbs, timed without protein, to cross the blood brain barrier to make serotonin.

A small amount of complex carb, eating with fat but not protein will facilitate this happening.

Kathleen does not advocate eating sweets or simple carbs. She feels these cause an imbalance in our beta endorphin system by causing beta endorphin uploading, then withdrawl, causing a vicous circle of sugar addiction.

The book is an excellent read.

Otherwise do a search on the net about diet and serotonin.

I'm not saying you need to go high carb, just be aware that high protein low carb diets can cause depression in 'some' people, and the remedy is to eat a complex carb, like a slice of sprouted bread, apple, etc, without protein, late in the day, or before bed. Don't eat protein for 2 hours before or 3 hours afterward.

The research is compelling. If you do have a tendency toward depression, do a little reading...

Maggie

In my very un-scientific opinion, my winter blues are BETTER since low-carbing. I was even able to kick cigarettes last winter!

While I understand the mechanics of it, I personally think the "shortage" of serotonin causes me a HUGE load of carb cravings...but WAY in excess of what my body might need, which IMHO can be provided by a varied low-carb diet. To me, it seems to set of the crave-eat-crave more-binge cycle of carb addiction.

So, in a nutshell, I'll pass on the potatoes...."scientific" article or no...and I personally choose to file it with "teenage girl dies from Atkins diet"....

Just wondering - would exercise also help to ease the depression? I just wondered if it might help or play a role?

Also, besides the apple or sprouted bread, what other "higher" complex carbs does she suggest? It seems to me that particularly for people on pre-maintanence or maintanence, this might be a good thing to know, and the complex carbs could easily be legally introduced into their WOE.

Exercise is great for boosting Beta Endorphin.

Complex carbs like oatmeal (steel cut) and yams, small boiled new potatoes have a glycemic index of 54.

Maggie

Potatoe free, go ahead and file my post with "teenage girl dies from Atkins"

I responded to a post about depression. It sounds like you don't have that problem.

Many others do, and it's good for folks to be informed so that they can make good decisions about their health.

Carbs won't kill you, they do serve a purpose, and when people are educated about how to use them to aid their heath for a specific thing, then all the power to them.

Maggie

Read what exactly - That study did not evaluate people doing LC WOE.

They are only speculating. Read it - they did not study an Atkins group.

How does serotonin production in a person doing Atkins maintenance compare to someone eating gobs of sugar?

I personally suffer from a mild form of SADD - I don't like it to be dark when you get up and dark when you get home and not have any daylight hours to do anything on my house. My diet hasn't changed a thing.

But read what? There are no LC studies on this subject.