No matter what part of the planet you call home, you aren’t immune to depression. Over 350 million people of all ages and backgrounds around the world suffer from this mental health condition.1

If you’ve ever dealt with it, you know how grim it can be. Your doctor is more than willing to help you… Fill a prescription for antidepressants, that is.

But those drugs come with some serious health risks. They can cause chronic pain, loss of motor control, and sexual dysfunction. And of course, death.2

And they don’t even work! Seventy-five percent of depressed patients still have serious symptoms after six years of treatment with drugs.3

You are more in control of depression than you think. We’ve been showing our Health Watch readers that for a long time.

Case in point: The foods you ingest have a direct effect on your brain and mental health.

If you’re including this culprit on your dinner plate, you’re 41% more likely to have depression.

We’re talking about carbohydrates. For many people, comfort food equals carbs. Loads of them.

While they give you a temporary feel-good wave of endorphins, an overload of carbohydrates harms your brain. Research proves it.

A study by Harvard University traced the eating habits of 43,000 women over 12 years. These women had no history of depression before the study. After 12 years, it was a different story.

The women who ate processed grains like bread, pasta, and chips were 41% more likely to be diagnosed with depression.4

These results don’t surprise us. It’s why we tell you to eat a Paleo-type diet and cut out the processed carbs.

You know that processed foods are junk. But it’s the carbohydrates that are the worst.

They raise your blood sugar and inflammation levels. That puts your brain at risk. Your brain functions best when you reduce blood sugar levels and inflammation. In fact, patients who receive treatment for chronic inflammation can relieve their depression symptoms by over 60%.5

But this doesn’t mean that all carbs are evil.

It simply means where you get your carbs from will make an impact on more than just your waistline. Eating clean sources of carbohydrates may actually keep you free of depression.

If you still aren’t sure which carbs are good, just remember to keep it natural. If you want to avoid a mean case of the blues, avoid carbs from a box or a can.

It’s always best to avoid grains, breads, and starchy carbs. Instead, stick with water-based ones like organic green veggies and fresh fruit. Throwing in a sweet potato or butternut squash every now and then makes for a healthy treat.

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References:
1 http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs369/en/index.html
2 http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsweek/What_are_the_real_risks_of_antidepressants.htm
3 http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110421082524.htm
4 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24095894
5 http://archpsyc.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1356541