Low-sugar and low-fat diets? No, they are not what make us sad, as one might think. Other types of diets can negatively influence our mood. And the culprits are to be found precisely in… comfort foods! This is stated in a study published in the journal Nutritional Neuroscienceaccording to which an unhealthy and poor-quality diet is often responsible for mood swings, associated with depression and anxiety.
Food and sadness: the study
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The researchers examined the diet of 30 volunteers, comparing the effects of a poor diet with those of a Mediterranean diet, considered very healthy. Through brain scans, significant differences in neurotransmitters and gray matter volume were observed between the two groups. In particular, those who ate a low-quality diet showed a reduction in gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) and an increase in glutamate in the frontal area of the brainaccompanied by a smaller volume of gray matter. While GABA is beneficial for the brain because it acts as a natural tranquilizer, reducing anxiety and stabilizing neuronal activity, glutamate, on the other hand, although essential for learning and memory, is harmful if present in excess, as it can lead to excessive stimulation of neurons, causing excitotoxicity and cellular damage. This could explain the relationship between what we eat and how we feel.
Another interesting aspect that emerged from the study is the correlation between these brain changes and the tendency to ruminatea mental process characterized by recurring negative thoughts and often used as a diagnostic criterion for conditions such as depression and anxiety. “People who eat an unhealthy diet – high in sugar and saturated fat – have imbalanced excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission, as well as reduced gray matter volume in the brain. front part of the brain. And this part of the brain is implicated in mental health problems such as depression and anxiety,” summarizes Piril Hepsomali, a professor at the University of Reading, one of the authors of the study. Although the exact reason why diet affects our brains in this way is still being studied, researchers believe it is plausible that obesity and dietary patterns high in saturated fat cause changes in glutamate and GABA metabolism and neurotransmission.
role of sugars
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According to Hepsomali, “Unhealthy diets also impact glucose, causing an increase in blood glucose and insulin. This increases glutamate in the brain and plasma, thus reducing the production and release of GABA. Even a diet high in fat and cholesterol can cause changes in cell membranes that alter the release of neurotransmitters. These changes in brain chemistry could result in changes in the volume of gray matter in the brain.”
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The vicious circle
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A particularly interesting aspect of the study is the hypothesis of a possible vicious circle between nutrition and mental health. “Reduced GABA and increased glutamate may also be determinants of unhealthy food choices,” the researchers admit. “There may therefore be a circular relationship between eating well, having a healthier brain and greater mental well-being, and making better food choices to eat well.” In short, A poor diet may alter brain chemistry in such a way that it causes us to crave and consume less healthy foods, thus perpetuating a negative cycle. On the other hand, this report offers an encouraging perspective: improving the quality of our nutrition could trigger a virtuous circle, favoring better brain functioning, a more stable mood and, consequently, more conscious and healthy food choices.
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