The mood swingers

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: Is that bar of chocolate in the refrigerator what you reach out for first when feeling depressed? If yes, watch out. For, though you may think it’s your magical remedy that gives you an instant lift-up, the opposite too is true, according to experts. What most people don’t know is that the feeling of elation that a chocolate gives is shortly followed by a bout of depression. Just like caffeine. It initially increases mental alertness and concentration and makes you energetic. Have too much of it and you may feel anxious and depressed.

Primarily, when we eat something, a hormonal change takes place in the body and affects us psychologically. “Chocolate, for instance, contains tryptophan, an essential amino acid which is converted into serotonin. It’s a brain chemical responsible for mood, sleep and appetite control. Chocolates are also high in sugar that constitutes phenylethylamine, a substance that acts as a natural antidepressant. The darker the chocolate, the better you are likely to feel. But after the initial burst of energy comes the low phase,” says Ritika Sammadar, head, diet and nutrition, Max Healthcare.

Clinical psychologist Dr Varkha Chulani from Lilavati hospital, Mumbai, stresses on the role our psyche plays. “Most people indulge in comfort eating and surrender to their cravings when they are depressed.” That’s something to be avoided — research points out that comfort foods like chocolate cake and ice cream actually blunt the body’s response to chronic stress. The stress hormones, simultaneously, also activate fat receptors in the abdomen and belly in ways that increase deposits of fat. So, if at all, try practising controlled indulgence, she points out. Really, most people do try finding solace in food. In a survey done by Food and Mood, a social enterprise, 88% of the respondents confirmed they had been using dietary and nutritional self-help strategies to improve their emotional and mental health. But how is food actually linked to depression? “Stress can weaken the immunity system and cause cold, cough and flu, which defiantly causes mood swings. To be in an upbeat mood your body needs extra vitamin B to maintain a healthy central nervous system and vitamin C and zinc for resistances to infections,” says Fahmina Anwar, head, nutrition and dietetics, Artemis Health Institute in Gurgaon.