Does Low Carb Make You Angry?

As if we haven't seen enough bad press for low carb diets, check this out: a study just published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that dieters who followed a low carb diet for a year were more depressed, angry, and confused than people following a higher carb diet.

The researchers studied two groups of people for one year. Both were on a reduced calorie diet and both lost an average of 30 pounds. However, the group on the low carb diet had detrimental effects on their mood.

I know I am pretty angry when I don't have chocolate for a long time! ;-) Seriously, other smaller studies have not shown changes in mood with low carb diets, but we will have to see if future studies show a similar affect. It makes sense...we know that carbs cause release of serotonin, the feel good hormone. There is a reason people say they are "addicted" to carbs. One is because they are our body's preferred source of energy, so we need them for energy and we can "crave" them. The other is that they literally make us feel good (and they taste great!)

Carbs can cause weight gain, just like any food when eaten in too high of a quantity. The key to lasting weight loss and staying happy while doing it is just simply cutting back on carbs and total calories, not cutting them out!

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