“Poor diet won’t cause a major depressive disorder, but it can exacerbate one,” says Clinical Nutritionist Adele Pelteret.

 

“There’s a clear link between depression and diet and I believe mild forms of depression can even be caused by poor diet. Basically there are a variety of foods that influence brain behaviour. Brain chemicals, or neurotransmitters, that regulate mood and behaviour are controlled by what we eat and how much we absorb of what we eat,” she says.

 

Foods that are low on the glycaemic index (GI) are best. These release sugars into the blood stream slowly and help maintain a steady and correct level of energy. Sugary or over-processed and refined foods can result in too much sugar being released into the system, which makes the blood sugar level rise very quickly.

 

“The pancreas then releases insulin and the liver releases GTF (Glucose Tolerance Factor), which brings the blood sugar level down quickly. But because it happens so quickly, it goes too low, making you feel tired, unable to concentrate and often unhappy.

 

“You then crave some form of stimulant or sugary foods or refined carbohydrates to make your blood sugar levels rise again.”

 

 

She says if you’re eating badly these peaks and troughs continue daily, creating a cycle that leaves you feeling lower and lower. Teens dealing with these blood sugar highs and lows may resort to drugs, or the socially acceptable “drugs” like caffeine, chocolate, nicotine and alcohol to give them the short-lived “upper” feeling from a rise in blood sugar, she says.

 

Caffeinated or cola-based drinks with sugar in them, are particularly problematic as the caffeine and other stimulants in them produce a stress reaction in the body that depletes or neutralises B vitamins, essential for good brain function. Sugary foods also cause the brain to over or under produce serotonin and norepinephrine, the two neurotransmitters most commonly implicated in depression.

 

“This is also why one of the risk factors for depressive disorders is diabetes. When you are depressed the best thing you can do nutrition-wise is to balance your blood sugars and keep them constant. Eat complex carbohydrates that turn to sugar more slowly in the system. Ensure you’re getting enough of the omega-3 fatty acids and B Vitamins that are essential for brain function,” says Pelteret.

 

“Eat fresh fruit [diabetics should be cautious about fruits high in glucose; consult a doctor if need be] and vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains needed for serotonin production. It is also essential to check for food allergies or intolerances as well as for chemical toxicity (particularly heavy metal toxicity), which almost always plays a factor in behavioural and affective/mood disorders.”