Posted by maxziggy2002 on May 8, 2004, at 12:30:59
In reply to Re: You don't need anti-depressants! » TanyaJean, posted by chemist on May 8, 2004, at 2:11:07
Here's an excerpt from Desmaisons' book:
"What is the potato doing for my neurochemistry?
The potato is simply creating an insulin response, which has an effect on the movement of the amino acid tryptophan from your blood into your brain. Why do we care about that? Because your body uses tryptophan to make serotonin. Serotonin is the brain chemical that makes you feel mellow and happy. It also helps you to "just say no" to sweets and other things by putting the brakes on your impulsivity."
Carbohydrates, on the other hand, are an artificial source of serotonin. That's why we feel good when we eat them, and why we overeat them. It's also why many of us feel so tired all the time. Carbs have an extremely short "half-life": you'll crash almost right after eating them. Have you ever eaten a 2 pound bag of celery? Probably not, because there are no carbohydrates in it.
What Desmaisons is saying is that we need to eliminate the artificial sources of serotonin, namely sugar and other carbohydrates, from our diet to allow our bodies to start manufacturing their own supply. So the fact that carbohydrates test high for serotonin is the reason that you SHOULDN'T eat them.
poster:maxziggy2002
thread:1016
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040505/msgs/344794.html