Bipolar Disorder: Foods to Consider

Someone I'm very close with suffers from Bipolar disorder, which is a serious mental disorder characterized by dramatic mood swings.  These mood swings range from depression to mania.  One person may experience gradual mood swings, others experience immediate mood swings within minutes.  Bipolar mood swings sometimes aren't the only mental problems.  A person could experience distortion in perception and disturbed thinking, to name a few.

FOODS TO ELIMINATE:

• CAFFEINE
• ALCOHOL

Caffeine. Someone with Bipolar disorder may be tempted to use caffeine to boost low moods, it often causes negative effects. It can disrupt sleep patterns and reduce the sedative effects of medications.  Caffeine can also worsen anxiety, which tends to go hand in hand with bipolar disorder and, if you’re taking antipsychotic medications, might also affect how those drugs work. 
Alcohol. Bottom line, alcohol and bipolar disorder make a bad combination. Alcohol can negatively affect bipolar mood swings and also may interact negatively with medications. People with bipolar disorder are also more likely to become addicted to alcohol and other substances

FOODS TO AVOID:

• RED MEATS
• SIMPLE CARBOHYDRATES
• FOODS HIGH IN SATURATED AND TRANS FATS: high-fat foods may delay the time it takes for medications to take effect.
• SUGAR: People with bipolar disorder are at risk for metabolic syndrome, a pre-diabetes condition that may make it hard to manage blood sugar levels. Furthermore, the highs and lows that come with the sugar roller coaster could just add to bipolar mood swings, particularly mania.  Reach for fruit instead.

FOODS TO INCLUDE:

• FOODS RICH IN NUTRIENTS AND VITAMINS: three to four servings of fresh fruits and vegetables provide helpful antioxidants
  
• LEAN MEATS
• FISH fatty fish at least two times per week; choose a fish such as albacore tuna, salmon, trout, herring or mackerel.
  
• EGGS
• SNACKS: legumes (lentils, hummus), nuts and seeds. (HIGH IN NUTRIENTS)
• LOW-FAT DAIRY

*If the bipolar patient is taking MAO inhibitors, a type of antidepressant, it is extremely important to avoid certain foods containing tyramine. Eating these foods may result in diarrhea, headache, high or low blood pressure and severe hypertension. Foods high in tyramine include: sour cream, yogurt, fermented cheeses, caviar, fermented sausage, liver, pickled herring, salted fish, eggplant, lima beans, sauerkraut, soy products, snow peas, avocado, raisins, figs, raspberries, red plums and bananas.

REFERENCES:

• Read more: What Foods Help in Treating Bipolar Disorder | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/way_5488704_foods-treating-bipolar-disorder.html#ixzz2H7zoStMp
• http://www.everydayhealth.com/bipolar-disorder/the-five-worst-foods-for-bipolar-disorder.aspx
• http://www.bphope.com/Item.aspx/126/cutting-cholesterol-and-loving-your-diet