Alterations in mood after changing to a low-fat diet

Abstract

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=O.O25). There was a decline in fasting concentrations of HDLcholesterol 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.

CRF system recruitment mediates dark side of compulsive eating

“…Thus, withdrawing palatable food activated the stress-related CRF peptide system in the central nucleus of the amygdala, analogous to findings in models of drug and ethanol withdrawal (7,8). Because renewed access to palatable food decreased extrahypothalamic CRF system activation in the central nucleus of the amygdala, wherein CRF activation is linked to anxiety (16), the present results also suggest that palatable food might acquire negative reinforcing properties by relieving negative affective consequences of abstinence (17).…”

“…Thus, addiction-like changes in CRF 1 systems may help drive (i) intake of energy-dense palatable foods, (ii) underconsumption of healthier alternatives, and (iii) the associated negative emotional state that occurs when access to palatable food is prevented (4,5,(10)(11)(12)17). Translated to the human condition, CRF system activation may promote relapse eating in obesity and related eating disorders as well as other negative motivational sequelae of cyclic abstinence from palatable food.…”

Lipid-Lowering Medication Use and Aggression Scores in Women: A Report from the NHLBI-Sponsored WISE Study

“…Reports of adverse mood effects of cholesterol reduction generally derive from relatively small studies. 15,35,36 With respect to aggression and violent behavior, a variety of observational studies have found, compared with that of controls, lower mean TC concentrations in violent criminals, violent psychiatric patients, individuals with antisocial personality disorder, and the victims of death from suicides, accidents, and violence. [1][2][3][4][5][37][38][39] As noted earlier, in placebo-controlled clinical trails, deaths from suicides, accidents, and violence may be increased by diet modifications and older cholesterol-lowering medications, but such does not appear to occur with statin drugs.…”

Emotional and instrumental aggressiveness and body weight loss

“…A low-fat diet was shown to increase anger-hostility and tension-anxiety parameters compared to isocaloric control diet (Wells, Read, Laugharne, & Ahluwalia, 1998). On the other hand, a low-carbohydrate (hi-fat) diet, also isocaloric, had a similar effect, in addition to a decrease in physical performance (Butki, Baumstark, & Driver, 2003;Filaire, Maso, Degoutte, Jouanel, & Lac, 2001).…”

“…We saw above that several specific diets low-fat (Wells et al, 1998) as well as high-fat (Butki et al, 2003;Filaire et al, 2001) correlated with changes in mood and cognitive and physical performance. Other diet changes influenced other traits (Markus et al, 2000).…”