Halloween can be such a fun holiday for kids and adults but it can also be a time for extra indulgence in candy and spooky treats. The norm these days is a pillowcase full of candy or bust! Halloween also starts the holiday trends of ramping up the flavors of winter including sweet drinks and desserts. It's a good reminder that we should be able to enjoy these holidays with the amazing foods but remember to take it in moderation for our health.
We all know that having too much processed food, including added sugar can lead to physical disease down the road but research also shows that there is a strong link between sugar, sugar additives, fast food and processed food, to depression, addictive behavior and anxiety. In other words, our treats are tricking us!
The diet–mental health link is a problem for teens, who are already at high risk for developing social or emotional disorders, depression and anxiety. Add to that the fact that the adolescent brain is more susceptible to advertisements for sweetened drinks, sugary cereal and fast foods, and you have a recipe for disaster. American teens eat more added sugar than any other age group: In fact, one-fifth of a typical American adolescent's calorie intake comes from sugar, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That is more than double the recommended amount!
The good news is that scientists have zeroed in on several factors below that seem to be in play in which sugar and poor diet affect mental health and although it can take some discipline and may not work for everyone, healthy food can be the best medicine. By creating good eating habits at younger ages, the long term benefits will be paid forward in long term health living.
The gut-brain connection:
About 95 percent of serotonin – one of the key hormones involved in mood and emotion regulation – is produced in the gastrointestinal tract, also known as the enteric nervous system. Sometimes called "the second brain" or "belly brain," it consists of some 100 million neurons embedded in the gut walls that carry information to the brain; in fact, 90 percent of the information carried in our primary nerves goes from the gut to the brain, rather than the other way around. As a result, people with healthy and diverse gut microbes are less likely to suffer from anxiety and depression. In fact, studies show that having a healthy gut can reduce social anxiety and lower our reactions to stress.
Sugar and BNDF:
According to several studies the activity of a key growth hormone in the brain called BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) may be the connecting link between high sugar consumption and mental health disorders. Regular consumption of sugar triggers a cascade of physiological events that reduce BDNF, and low BDNF levels are linked to mental health disorders.
Sugar's addictive qualities:
A growing body of evidence shows that sugar and refined sweeteners act more like addictive drugs than food, creating a high and then a crash. Like drugs (though to a lesser extent), sugar and processed junk food flood the brain with the feel-good chemical dopamine; excess levels of dopamine significantly change the natural functions of the brain over time, impacting mental health. In a 2011 study conducted by Yale University, looking at a milkshake activated the same reward centers of the brain in people with addictive eating habits as are activated in the brains of cocaine users. In another study, rats preferred sugar water to cocaine, even when they were addicted to cocaine prior to the study. And the adolescent brain, which doesn't fully mature until the mid-20s, is particularly vulnerable to addictive stimuli.
Nutritional deficits:
When teens fill up on empty calories, they're missing out on the foods that boost mental health. Researchers have identified specific nutrients that support optimal serotonin levels, a balanced microbiome and healthy brain function. But you won't find those nutrients – such as omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium and folate – in processed and sugar-laden foods.
While an emerging methodology known as nutritional psychiatry seeks to draw on these understandings to address depression and other disorders through dietary changes, those in the field of adolescent mental health have long understood the significance of "the meal as medicine." and treating diet and exercise to be a contributing factor to traditional therapy and medication.
