Your Favorite Carbs Can Make Menopause Worse

Bad news for postmenopausal woman who love pasta, bread, and all other foods high in refined carbohydrates — it turns out they can cause bad moods, anxiety, and depression, according to a new study.

To come to that conclusion, researchers studied data collected from over 70,000 postmenopausal women. And it included information on whom had been diagnosed with depression, the type of carbs they regularly consumed, and how quickly their bodies broke down carbs into simple sugars and absorbed it in the blood (also known as their glycemic index.)

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After looking over the data, researchers concluded that the more highly refined the carbohydrate, the more rapidly it was broken down and absorbed — which created a sizeable spike in blood sugar.

And when blood sugar quickly spikes (usually after indulging in refined carbohydrates or sugary drinks), the body automatically releases high levels of insulin to regulate blood sugar levels. An influx of insulin, however, can cause severe mood changes, fatigue, and other symptoms of depression.

The good news? Researchers now think that depression can be treated and even prevented in this group of women if they just make a few changes to their diet.

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The data showed that women who ate more foods (think whole grains, vegetables, and non-juice fruits) that release energy slowly, had a lower risk of developing mental illness.

Now that they've found this link, researchers plan to conduct more research to see if similar results are found with the broader population.

[via Daily Mail]
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