It is not yet completely clear why some foods can reduce, and others increase the risk of developing depression. But researchers are inclined to believe that, most likely, there is a relationship between nutrition and the intensity of inflammatory processes, which reduce immunity, affect hormonal levels, and are often accompanied by depressive conditions. 

In this article, we compiled a list of foods that cause depression. According to experts, by eliminating these foods from your diet, you will feel more energized and happier! And at the same time, the quality of your sleep will improve. After all, one thing often depends on the other.

List of Foods That Cause Depression

Here are some food items that you must get rid of as soon as possible.

1.      Baking And Pastry

Flour sweets may raise your mood for a little while, but eventually, they can cause a depressed state. And if you eat them at night, then their adverse effect may increase. The fact is that baked goods and confectionery are the real bombs for the gastrointestinal tract, cause problems with the intestines, and provoke constipation. 

As a result, they become the cause of discomfort and poor health of a person. Note that the safest flour products are bread and pastries made from wholemeal flour (with bran).

2.      Alcohol

It seems to be a well-known sedative. But even weak alcoholic beverages, when consumed frequently, cause dehydration, drowsiness, muscle weakness, and inability to concentrate. Many people consume alcohol to get rid of negative emotions. However, alcoholic drinks, instead of helping to cope with negative feelings, may cause depression.

Thus, it is better to get rid of the bad habit of drinking alcohol. There are several options available if you want to fight alcoholism. Besides, there are several ways to pay for addiction treatment, which make the process more convenient for you. By giving up this unhealthy habit, you will notice a positive change in your life.

3.      Coffee

Coffee and caffeine drinks are invigorating, but the effect wears off quickly. After some time, the person feels fatigued, drowsiness, weakness, and depression. Moreover, the person becomes irritable. This often leads to insomnia. Thus, do not rely on coffee to get a boost of energy in the morning and in the afternoon.

4.      Red Meat

Nutritionists advise refraining from excessive consumption of red meat because it puts a lot of stress on the digestive tract and takes a long time to digest. When any part of the boy undergoes stress, the rest of the body feels it too. In addition, experts say that red meat is aggressive and can also lead to stomach cancer.

5.      Chocolate

Experts do not recommend overusing this delicacy. Chocolate and other sweets cheer you up for a short time but spoil your figure very quickly. Extra pounds get added at the speed of light, and the unfortunate sweet tooth eats even more sweets, also falling into depression from a bad figure. 

Given that chocolate has a similar effect as coffee, it directly affects how quickly and easily you fall asleep. Also, note that the safest type of sweet is dark chocolate with a high cocoa content. If you really want something sweet, you can allow no more than 25 g of dark chocolate a day.

6.      Canned Food

Almost all canned foods burden the body with unnecessary toxins, from which the internal organs suffer. Due to such foods, the state of health and mood deteriorates. So that bad, depressive thoughts do not enter your head, nutritionists and psychologists recommend revising your diet. You can include more fresh vegetables and fruits, as well as simple and healthy dishes, without preservatives and stabilizers.

7.      Fast Food

All this wealth of the modern food industry is causing clinical depression. If you eat fast food from time to time, you will harm yourself both physically and mentally. Besides, if you visit fast food outlets on a regular basis, clinical depression can develop. Such food overloads our body with excess fats and salt. 

Eating a hamburger, it would seem, may quickly satisfy your hunger. But after a short period of time, the blood sugar level drops sharply again, you feel drowsy and toned down. Moreover, this condition sometimes lasts up to 2-3 hours.

8.      Sweet Non-Alcoholic Drinks

A sharp spike in blood sugar after consuming such products subsequently ends with a sharp drop, which leads to a drop in mood. Sugary soft drinks are traditionally considered one of the most likely factors in the development of depression. Thus, you must avoid consuming them if you want to have a good mood.

9.      Unhealthy Snacks 

Everyone knows for a long time that chips are a very unhealthy product containing carcinogens and contributing to diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Besides, chips block the production of endorphins (the hormones of joy), which directly affect our emotional state. Nutritionists do not recommend eating large quantities of bagels for breakfast in the morning. 

In the morning, our bodies wake up much later than our brains, and it takes longer to break down that amount of carbohydrates. As a result, the process of producing endorphins gets disrupted. Salted peanuts, treated with MSG and a lot of suspicious additives, also have the ability to throw a person into a bad mood.

10. Smoked Sausages And Ham

All of them, as a rule, contain an increased amount of dyes, preservatives, and nitrates in their composition. This whole set is capable of provoking a bad mood, not to mention the harm to health. Thus, experts recommend avoiding eating smoked sausages and ham so you can stay in a good mood.

Take Away

What we eat not only affects our body physically but also affects our mental state. Thus, having proper nutrition is extremely important to enjoy life better. We mentioned some unhealthy foods that can trigger depression in this article. If you have any of the above items in your diet, you must cut it off right now to live happily.

Kenneth

Kenneth is a proud native of sydney, born and raised there. However, he pursued his education abroad and studied in Australia. Kenneth has worked as a journalist for almost a decade, making valuable contributions to prominent publications such as Yahoo News and The Verge. Currently, he serves as a journalist for The Hear Up, where he focuses on covering climate and science news. You can reach Kenneth at [email protected].