Maintaining a healthy diet is considered paramount to maintaining a healthy body. Experts advise everyone to include nutritious foods in their diet so that the body can easily obtain the necessary nutrients. In today's fast-paced life, most people are consuming excessive amounts of fast food, junk food, and sweets, which can lead to problems ranging from weight gain to diabetes. It is advised to reduce the consumption of these foods.

In addition, nutritionists also advise minimizing the consumption of carbohydrate-rich foods. It is believed that carbohydrates contribute to weight gain and can be detrimental to health.

The question now is: do carbohydrate-rich foods also increase the risk of depression? Should we really reduce our consumption of these foods?

Carbohydrates and their impact on health

Health experts say that carbohydrates are a major source of energy for our bodies, but when consumed in excess, they can also cause harm. According to studies, high-carbohydrate foods (such as white rice, bread, sweets, and soft drinks) rapidly raise blood sugar levels. Long-term consumption of this diet increases the risk of problems like insulin resistance, weight gain, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.

Is it also harmful to mental health?

What did the study find?

A related study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that a diet rich in processed carbohydrates may increase the risk of depression in menopausal women.

Dr. James Gangwisch of the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center and his colleagues conducted this study. They examined dietary glycemic index, glycemic load, carbohydrate types, and depression data for over 70,000 postmenopausal women. The researchers found that women who consumed a high-carb diet were at higher risk for depression.

What do experts say?

Health experts say that carbohydrate consumption causes fluctuations in blood sugar levels. The more processed a carbohydrate is, the higher its score on the glycemic index (GI) scale.

Dietitians say that the body needs carbs to function properly. They are essential for providing energy. It's not a good idea to avoid them completely; just reduce your intake.

According to the American Dietary Guidelines, you should get 45%–65% of your daily calories from carbohydrates. If you consume 2,000 calories per day, 900–1,300 calories should come from carbohydrates. This means that 225–325 grams of carbs per day is essential for our health.

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