From: gts (gts_2000@yahoo.com)
Date: Fri May 02 2003 - 13:15:25 MDT
Here is evidence that changing to a low-fat diet will tend to have adverse
effects on mood.
This finding is independent of numerous studies which show low serum
cholesterol is also associated with bad mood, including clinical depression
and suicide. In this study decreased fat intake adversely affected mood but
without changing serum cholesterol.
On a more positive note regarding fats and mood, other studies show that
increased intake of omega 3 is associated with better mental health. The
modern diet is very deficient in omega 3 relative to prehistoric levels. In
fact the link between low serum cholesterol and depression may not be
causal; at least one study I've seen suggests that low serum cholesterol is
associated with low omega-3, suggesting that omega 3 is the most important
causal factor with respect to fats and mental health. -gts
ABSTRACT:
Alterations in mood after changing to a low-fat diet.
Br J Nutr 1998 Jan;79(1):23-30 (ISSN: 0007-1145)
Wells AS; Read NW; Laugharne JD; Ahluwalia NS
Centre for Human Nutrition, University of Sheffield, Northern General
Hospital, UK. a.s.wells@sheffield.ac.uk.
The effects on mood of reducing dietary fat while keeping the energy
constant were examined in ten male and ten female healthy volunteers aged
between 20 and 37 years. Each volunteer consumed a diet containing 41%
energy as fat for 1 month. For the second month half of the subjects changed
to a low-fat diet (25% energy from fat) and the remainder continued to eat
the diet containing 41% energy from fat. Changes in mood and blood lipid
concentrations were assessed before, during and at the end of the study.
Profile of mood states (POMS) ratings of anger-hostility significantly
increased in the intervention group after 1 month on the low-fat diet, while
during the same period there was a slight decline in anger-hostility in the
control subjects (group F 6.72; df 1.14; P = 0.021). Tension-anxiety ratings
declined in the control group consuming the higher fat diet but did not
change in the group consuming the low-fat diet (group F 6.34; df 1.14; P =
0.025). There was a decline in fasting concentrations of HDL-cholesterol
after the low-fat diet and a small increase in subjects consuming the
medium-fat diet (group F 4.96; df 1.12; P = 0.046), but no significant
changes in concentrations of total serum cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol or
triacylglycerol were observed. The results suggest that a change in dietary
fat content from 41 to 25% energy may have adverse effects on mood. The
alterations in mood appear to be unrelated to changes in fasting plasma
cholesterol concentrations.
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