People struggling with depression may crave for carbohydrate-rich foods, which could be “related to the overall severity” of their mental condition, according to a study. Even though patients of depression, marked by a persistent low mood, tend to have less appetite, researchers, including those from the University of Bonn, Germany, said those with severe depression can sometimes develop food cravings.
“These changes can then lead to a change in body weight”, corresponding author Nils Kroemer, a professor of medical psychology at the University Hospital Bonn, University of Bonn, said.
For the study, published in the journal Psychological Medicine, a group of 117 participants—54 with depression and 63 healthy—were asked to complete a ‘food cue reactivity task’, by rating 60 food and 20 non-food items for whether they ‘wanted’ or ‘liked’ it.
The researchers found that people with depression showed lower levels of ‘wanting’ food, but not of ‘liking’ it. Further, “compared to carbohydrate-rich foods, patients with (major depressive disorder) reported lower liking and wanting ratings for high-fat and high-protein foods,” the authors wrote.
They also found that such patients also had an increased craving for foods combining fat and carbohydrates, such as milk chocolate.
While a craving for carb-rich foods is generally related with a higher appetite, the study showed that “carbohydrate cravings are more related to the overall severity of depression, especially anxiety symptoms,” first author Lilly Thurn, currently a postgraduate student at Maastricht University, the Netherlands, said.
Given that these energy-dense foods appeal to the brain’s reward system, the findings could help with developing better treatments for depression, the authors said.
“Since carbohydrate-containing foods control the reward response in the brain via different signalling pathways than fat and protein-rich foods, it may be possible to derive better treatment approaches from this,” Kroemer said.
How to Beat Carb Cravings
Keep your brain busy. It’s hard to think about cravings when your mind is occupied with fun. In one experiment, volunteers who played the video game Tetris for a few minutes found that it curbed their craving for food, drugs, and other pleasures. The researchers think that’s because your brain has limited capacity to juggle competing images.
Eat mindfully
Sometimes you reach for carbs not out of hunger but boredom. Or it’s your habit to indulge in a bowl of ice cream after dinner. Mindful eating may help. Practice paying attention to why you’re eating, slow down to savor the taste of your food, and focus on the moment. This helps your brain get in sync with your stomach and get the signal that you’re full. Studies show a strong link between mindful eating and lower body weight.