Bipolar Disorder

FastTrax · Sep 5, 2021

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terry123 · Sep 6, 2021

First hand experience here with two family members being diagnosed with it.

Paco Dennis · Sep 6, 2021

"Sugar and Bipolar Disorder

Lots of people consider a pint of ice cream the perfect cure for the blues. Others indulge in sugary snacks as a way to get an energetic high. But for people with bipolar disorder, sugar and other simple carbohydrates may harm more than help.

Carbohydrate cravings in patients are legendary, so much so that increased intake of sugary treats is considered a clue to bipolar disorder during diagnosis. People who are depressed munch on sugary snacks to make themselves feel better and then, in the throes of a manic high, mindlessly devour high-carb junk food.

The question is, should those with bipolar disorder put the brakes on sugar intake?

Bipolar Disorder: Sugar and the Brain

Blood sugar and carbohydrate intake are very important to the brain. Your brain runs on glucose and depends on carbohydrates to supply the energy it needs.

Carbohydrate intake also prompts the production and release of important neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, which creates a feeling of calm and well-being and reduces depression.

Low serotonin levels tend to trigger an appetite in general and cravings for carbohydrates in particular, according ot a study published in March 2014 in the journal Nutrition.

So people with bipolar disorder may be indulging in a form of self-medication when they eat sugary snacks during depressive lows or manic highs.

But compulsive sugar intake is not an exact form of treatment, and people who eat too much sugar may find their mood swinging wildly, according to the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) — a terrible prospect for people with bipolar symptoms. They also face an inevitable "crash" following the intake of simple carbohydrates like sugar. Sugary foods burn hot and fast through the body, and their effects on brain chemistry and other bodily processes tend to be immediate, intense, and abrupt.

Bipolar Disorder: Getting the Right Carbs

Bipolar patients should not cut carbohydrates out of their diet. Because they are linked to the mood-controlling neurotransmitters, carbohydrates are important to managing bipolar symptoms. Instead, swap out simple sugars in the diet for more complex carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates burn slow and long, ensuring a more controlled release of neurotransmitters to the brain. Complex carbohydrates are also healthier for you overall, keeping your blood glucose levels more stable and preventing the development of type 2 diabetes.

To help eliminate sugar cravings and maintain good blood sugar levels and healthy brain chemistry, you should:

Eat more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, which are rich in complex carbohydrates, the DBSA recommends.
Be sure to eat enough protein, which can improve alertness without the rush of a sugar high. Lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, and low-fat dairy products are good, healthy sources of protein. Poultry, oil-rich fish, beans, nuts and nut butters, soy, tofu, and seeds are protein sources that have the added benefit of being rich in tryptophan. More tryptophan in the diet allows for a healthy production of serotonin and may promote more stable moods, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Eat more omega-3 fatty acids. A deficiency in these essential fats affects the release of serotonin and other neurotransmitters, according to research published in March 2014 in the journal Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity. Researchers noted that an increased consumption of omega-3 fatty acids helped reduce the incidence of depressive episodes and that bipolar disorder patients who ate more fatty fish were less likely to attempt suicide. Fatty fish such as salmon, walnuts, flaxseeds, and some vegetable oils including canola are good sources of omega-3 fatty acids.

It might help to create a food and mood journal to keep track of what and when you eat, as well as any abrupt changes in mood you experience. These notes could hold the key to determining whether certain foods are influencing your bipolar symptoms in a positive way."

https://www.everydayhealth.com/bipolar-disorder/sugar-and-bipolar-disorder.aspx

Mr. Ed · Sep 8, 2021

I have schizoaffective disorder not bipolar type but depressive type. Schizoaffective is a mood disorder with psychosis thrown in for good measure. Both types of diagnosis can turn a person's world upside down.

Medications have vastly improved since the 1970s meaning more people have a better chance of successful than in previous times

hawkdon · Sep 8, 2021

Was married to bi polar lady for 12 yrs.....not a good experience.

Bipolar Disorder

FastTrax

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terry123

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Paco Dennis

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Mr. Ed

Be what you is not what you what you ain’t

hawkdon

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