Health Nutrition Psychology
Brandon Luu, MD
Brandon Luu, MD

@BrandonLuuMD

14 tweets 10 reads Feb 06, 2025
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🧠 Depression is linked to rewired food cravings.
People with depression crave carbs more and find less reward in fats & proteins.
Could the gut-brain axis explain this? 🧡1/14
🧠 Depression is linked to rewired food cravings. People with depression crave carbs more and find l...
Researchers studied 117 participants (54 with MDD, 63 healthy controls) to see how depression affects food preferences.
Each person completed a food cue reactivity task, where they rated how much they liked and wanted different foods. /2
Researchers studied 117 participants (54 with MDD, 63 healthy controls) to see how depression affect...
People with MDD rated food differently than healthy controls.
🧠 They had lower "wanting" scores but similar "liking" scores.
πŸ₯– They showed a stronger preference for carbohydrate-rich foods.
πŸ₯‘ They had lower preference for high-fat & high-protein foods.
Carbs seemed to compensate for the lower reward they experienced with fats & proteins. /3
People with MDD rated food differently than healthy controls. 🧠 They had lower "wanting" scores but...
Compared to healthy participants, those with depression:
❌ Wanted and liked fat-rich foods less
❌ Wanted and liked protein-rich foods less
βœ… Preferred carbohydrate-rich foods more /4
Compared to healthy participants, those with depression: ❌ Wanted and liked fat-rich foods less ❌ Wa...
πŸ”¬ Why does this happen?
The study suggests that depression disrupts the gut-brain axis, which plays a key role in food reward.
People with MDD may have impaired fat and protein reward signaling while their response to carbohydrates remains intact. /5
πŸ”¬ Why does this happen? The study suggests that depression disrupts the gut-brain axis, which plays...
MDD may disrupt gut-brain signaling, which normally helps process food reward.
πŸ”Ή Fat signaling relies on vagus nerve pathways.
πŸ”Ή Carbohydrate signaling uses spinal and portal vein sensors.
πŸ”Ή Protein signaling is more complex.
MDD may impair fat/protein reward signaling, but not carbs. /6
MDD may disrupt gut-brain signaling, which normally helps process food reward. πŸ”Ή Fat signaling relie...
🩸 Metabolism & Hormonal Factors
Interestingly, insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and ghrelin levels were not strongly linked to these food reward changes.
However, people with MDD had higher insulin resistance, which could still play a role in how appetite is regulated. /7
Study Limitations
The study was cross-sectional, meaning it can’t prove cause and effect. It didn’t measure whether people perceived foods as unhealthy. It didn’t differentiate between fat types (e.g., saturated vs. unsaturated). Despite this, the study offers new insights into how depression alters food reward processing. /8
More and more research confirms that mental and physical health are deeply connected.
It’s unclear whether depression drives carb cravings or if a biological preference for carbs contributes to depression. The relationship is likely bidirectional, making future research critical. /9
βœ… MDD patients might benefit from targeted dietary interventions to improve metabolic health.
βœ… Carbohydrate cravings may play a role in mood regulation.
βœ… Future studies should explore gut-brain interventions to address depression-related appetite changes. /10
πŸ”Ή People with MDD crave carbohydrates but find fats and proteins less rewarding.
πŸ”Ή Gut-brain signaling disruptions may play a major role in this imbalance.
πŸ”Ή Mood and anxiety symptoms seem to influence macronutrient preferences more than metabolic factors.
This could help explain why many people with depression report increased cravings for processed, carbohydrate-heavy foods. /11
Future questions I want answered.
Could dietary changes that restore fat and protein perception improve mood symptoms?
Could vagus nerve stimulation help normalize food reward responses?
How do different types of carbs, fats, and proteins affect mood and appetite regulation? /12
In summary, depression is associated with altered food reward responses, making carbs more desirable while reducing the reward from fats and proteins. Understanding gut-brain signaling may open new doors for dietary and metabolic approaches to mental health treatment. /13
In summary, depression is associated with altered food reward responses, making carbs more desirable...
Source:
cambridge.org
Altered food liking in depression is driven by macronutrient composition | Psychological Medicine | Cambridge Core
cambridge.org/core/journals/…

Altered food liking in depression is driven by macronutrient composition | Psychological Medicine | Cambridge Core

Altered food liking in depression is driven by macronutrient composition - Volume 55

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