HEALTH

Food affects your body inside and out...including your mental health. And you might not even realize it! Here are the biggest food culprits that are turning your smile upside down.

Sugar
If you’ve got a major sweet tooth, we’re sorry to inform you that it might be hurting your health. Sugar is known to be an inflammatory food, and inflammation in the brain = depression. So that sweet stuff could be worsening your mood, not picking it up the way you thought.

Fake sugars
You may think that if real sugar is making you depressed, fake sugars could be an alternative. On the contrary: Artificial sweeteners (like the Splenda you put in your coffee or the Diet Coke you drink daily) have been shown to block the production of serotonin which helps keep your mood in balance.

Fast food
We all crave some nuggets and greasy fries every once in a while. But if you're eating it on the reg, not only is it bad for your physical health, but in a study by the Public Health Nutrition journal in 2012, fast food eaters are 51 percent more likely to get depression.

Coffee
To all the Starbucks lovers, you might want to chill with the extra coffee runs. Caffeine in itself raises your blood pressure which makes your adrenaline pump faster, your anxiety higher and the depressed feelings stronger.

Tofu
For vegetarians, it can be really hard to find a source of protein. Soy-based proteins are actually shown to cause depression. Why? Soy is a hormone that can actually block out the good hormones that make you happy.

Were you surprised by any of these? Tell us in the comments below!

Photo credit: Pinterest. 

by Bella Torres | 10/27/2018