Review, 1993
Can eating carbohydrates improve a bad mood, including PMS mood?
This review says yes, eating simple carbohydrates seems to give a temporary mood lift, including for premenstrual symptoms, though cutting carbs out entirely may give more lasting relief for some people, and the exact reason this works is still unknown.
What they did
This is a review of previous research, not a new experiment. It looks at how eating behavior, especially carbohydrate intake, relates to negative mood across several conditions, including tobacco withdrawal and premenstrual symptoms.
What they found
People in a negative mood state, including those with premenstrual symptoms, often use simple carbohydrates for a temporary mood lift. Other evidence suggests some individuals get more lasting mood control by cutting simple carbohydrates out of their diet instead. The literature consistently shows carbohydrate intake can change mood, but the biological mechanism behind this is not known.
What it means for you
Craving carbs during PMS may genuinely help mood in the short term, but there is no single proven long-term fix, and why this happens biologically is still unclear. Being a review, it summarises other studies rather than testing people directly.
About the study
- Original title
- Effects of eating behavior on mood: a review of the literature
- Authors
- Christensen L
- Journal
- The International journal of eating disorders
- Year
- 1993
- Study design
- Review
- What was tested
- Carbohydrate intake, particularly simple carbohydrates, as a mood regulator.
Topics
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