Holiday season have you depressed? You’re not alone and there is one reason you may not be thinking about what is causing it. Lack of sunlight and sugar. A new study from a team of clinical psychologists at the University of Kansas suggests eating added sugars – common in so many holiday foods – can trigger metabolic, inflammatory and neurobiological processes tied to depressive illness.
Coupled with little daylight in wintertime and changes in sleep patterns, high sugar consumption could result in a “perfect storm” that adversely affects mental health, according to the researchers.
Winter onset depression, caused by reduced sunlight during the winter, throws off your body’s natural rhythm, disrupts sleep and can lead to depression. One common characteristic of winter-onset depression is craving sugar, and it’s easy to get during the holidays. Researchers say the sweets act like a drug, temporarily elevating mood, then a crash. So, you might want to skip that extra piece of fudge, cake, pie, or candy.
