How Donuts Can Make Us Depressed?

Are you a big fan of donuts and you make sure you have them at least a couple of times a week? Well, who doesn't?

Donuts are considered to be one of the yummiest of "comfort foods" and we all feel that indulging in one or two donuts once in a while will not affect our health negatively, right?
So, most of us see nothing wrong in enjoying a donut treat once in a while, even though we are health conscious or fitness conscious!

Now, we know that foods rich in sugar and fat can be unhealthy for us physiologically, as these cause a number of diseases such as obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease and more.

However, we may not realise that consuming sugary foods on a regular basis can cause even psychological health problems in people!

As we may already know, mental disorders are on the rise lately, especially among the youth.

Children as young as 8 are being diagnosed with mental disorders like depression, anxiety, ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Syndrome), etc.

So, when experts and scientists dug deeper into this issue of the rise in mental disorders among people, they found a link between diet and mental disorders.
We may know that, a balanced, healthy diet allows us to remain healthy by preventing and treating a number of diseases.

For example, eating healthy, low-calorie food and staying away from junk food can help prevent and treat obesity.

So, even when it comes to mental health, a balanced, healthy diet is required.
The nutrients in healthy food boost the production of certain chemicals and hormones in the brain, which can treat disorders like depression and anxiety naturally.

On the flipside, eating unhealthy food can cause abnormal fluctuations in certain brain chemicals and cause mental disorders.

Recently, research studies have found that eating donuts is linked to depression in people. Find out how, here.

What Is Depression?

Firstly, to understand how an unhealthy diet, donuts in this particular study, can cause depression, we must get to know what depression is.

Depression is a serious mental illness characterised by symptoms which make a person feel persistently sad, down, hopeless and mentally weak for long periods of time.
Depression is usually triggered by certain changes in the brain chemicals and hormones such as dopamine and serotonin.

The changes in these chemicals and hormones in the brain are usually triggered by causes like loss of loved ones, heart break, financial difficulties and other such devastating life instances.

In some cases, depression can also be caused by unhealthy lifestyle habits like poor diet and lack of exercise, heredity and in some cases, it can have absolutely no cause at all!

It is very tricky to be able to determine the exact cause for depression; however, it can be treated with the help of medications, psychotherapy and healthy lifestyle choices.
So, it is clear that an unhealthy diet can trigger or even worsen depression. Donuts are tasty, but very unhealthy snacks which are linked to depression.

Why Donuts Can Cause Depression?

If you are someone who loves donuts, you might want to cut down on them or even completely stop consuming them, as they not only cause obesity, high cholesterol and related diseases, but they can also cause depression.

Recently, a group of researchers at the University Of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, in Las Palmas, Spain conducted a study to find the link between donuts and depression.

After the study, it was found that people who consumed donuts more than 2-3 times in a month were at a 48% more risk of developing depression, compared to the people who never consumed donuts!

In addition, the study also showed that in people who had existing depression, consuming donuts could only make their condition worse.

The study further states that the trans fats, unhealthy sugars and margarine found in donuts could be responsible for causing inflammation in the brain, which in turn inhibits the production of dopamine and serotonin, causing depression.

So, in conclusion, the trans fats and other unhealthy substances found in donuts can trigger depression in people who consume them often.

Note: Depression is a serious health condition, which could lead to fatal consequences when not treated. It requires immediate medical attention. Do check with your doctor before making any lifestyle alterations.