If you pay a little attention to your emotion, it won’t be long before you discover that foods directly affect your mood. Lifestyle changes, particularly modifications in what you eat, is a very effective approach of treating depression. Just as certain foods can make you feel happy and healthy, others are known to make the symptoms of depression worse. Here we have made a list of top foods to avoid for depression.

Sugar

A high sugar diet sure looks tempting, but it can cause inflammation in your entire body and brain. Recent research found that brain inflammation gives a boost to the symptoms of depression, such as fatigue and sleep disorder. One study even confirmed that brain inflammation is about 30% higher in people diagnosed with depression. So, the next time if you feel like munching on a bar of milky chocolate, resist your temptation and instead look for a healthy alternative.

Processed foods

Studies have confirmed that processed foods, such as white bread, pasta, fast food, are among the top foods to avoid depression. People who depend mostly on refined foods have an increased risk of developing depression than those who consume whole foods. Processed foods can surely give your body an instant boost, but you may soon end up feeling fatigued and irritated. These foods are also high in sodium and sugar, and can cause inflammation, which directly affects your brain and behavior.

Trans fats

Trans fat is unsaturated fats that are usually not present in whole foods. They are instead found in high amounts in fried chicken, fried cheese sticks, fried calamari, french fries, and other foods that are prepared using hydrogenated oils. Trans fats are infamous for not only increasing the risk of depression, but they can also clog your arteries and increase the risk of developing heart disease. Hence, these foods should be completely avoided for depressed patients.

High-sodium foods

Fat-free foods have always been the number one choice of people trying to lose weight. But many of these foods are extremely high in sodium content, and experts say that all that extra salt can mess with your emotions and disrupt your neurological system. This not only makes the condition worse but also disrupts your immune system and causes fatigue. And, if your body is tired for most of the day, you are likely to become more anxious and irritable.

Alcohol

There is no doubt about the link between drinking and mental health problems. Yet for some reason, consuming alcohol is the most prevalent method used to cope with depression in the world today. You must know alcohol can aggravate and even trigger new bouts of depression. Alcohol directly affects your central nervous system, which controls your five senses, thinking, understanding, reasoning, and directing your body movements. It is quite clear that when you’re down with a couple of drinks, all these aspects that are responsible for the way you feel and behave, are severely toned down and can negatively affect you.