Bipolar disorder and foods to avoid

You or a loved one is suffering from bipolar disorder, and despite knowing the importance of medication and healthy lifestyle habits in treating episodes of the disease, do not know the diet For people with bipolar disorder, it will greatly affect the treatment process.

Bipolar disorder is a complex disorder defined by episodes of dramatic or abnormal moods of highs and lows. Manic and depressive episodes can range from very mild to very severe. Mood withdrawal for patients with bipolar disorder can happen gradually over days or even weeks. Statuses can also appear unexpectedly, the whole process lasts only a few days.
To be counted as bipolar disorder, symptoms must be sufficiently present, affecting not only mood but also sleep, thinking ability, and behavior, and must last at least several days, presenting an unusual change from the day-to-day.
Patients with bipolar disorder may experience episodes of major depression or alternatively, extreme elation and overactivity - mania. The mood episodes of bipolar disorder are accompanied by disturbances in thinking, altered cognition, and impaired social functioning.
There is no test to diagnose bipolar disorder. Symptoms of the disease also overlap with other mental disorders. As a result, patients are often misdiagnosed leading to the wrong treatment.

There is no specific diet for people with bipolar disorder. However, it's important to make sensible dietary choices that will help you maintain a healthy weight and maintain good health.
Things to watch out for in a bipolar diet include:
Avoiding a “Western” diet that is high in red meat, saturated and trans fats, and simple carbohydrates simple. This diet has been linked to an increased risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Eating less saturated fat and simple carbohydrates may help overall health but does not directly affect bipolar disorder symptoms. A balanced diet ensures an adequate supply of nutrients. Foods that include fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, lean meats, cold-water fish, eggs, low-fat milk, soy milk products, and nuts. These foods provide the nutritional levels needed to maintain good health and prevent disease in general.

Track calories and exercise regularly to maintain a healthy weight. Some findings suggest that people with bipolar disorder may have a higher risk of being overweight or obese than others. Patients should talk to their doctor about how to avoid weight gain while taking bipolar medication.

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that everyone eat fish at least twice a week. The best options include:
Tuna Anchovies Herring Mackerel Salmon Salmon If you don't like fish, you can use an over-the-counter fish oil supplement. Fish oil can help keep your heart healthy. But some experts also believe that fish oil may play a role in brain function and behavior. Omega-3 fatty acids may be helpful in some people with bipolar disorder, especially if they are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease or high triglycerides.
Several studies have shown that getting more of the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil is associated with greater volume in areas of the brain, particularly the area involved in mood and behavior. In a study of 75 patients, researchers found that one of the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids was reducing depression in bipolar disorder.
If you are a vegetarian, you can choose nuts rich in fatty acids similar to fish oil. Those nuts including walnuts, flaxseeds and canola oils contain alpha-linolenic acid which is converted into omega-3 fatty acids in the body.

Some general dietary recommendations for the treatment of bipolar disorder include:
Drink only moderate amounts of caffeine. Avoid high-fat meals to reduce the risk of obesity. Watch your salt intake if you have high blood pressure, do not skip salt if you are being prescribed lithium. Follow your doctor's instructions to stay away from foods that may interfere with the medication you're taking. Avoiding too much caffeine can be helpful for getting a good night's sleep. This is especially important for people with bipolar disorder. When a person with bipolar disorder is feeling depressed, taking extra caffeine can temporarily cause a boost in energy and affect mood.
The problem here is that caffeine can disrupt sleep. Caffeine can also cause nervousness, heart palpitations, headaches, increase blood pressure, or irritate the stomach and esophagus in people with gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Patients with bipolar disorder should avoid high-fat meals while taking certain medications. A high-fat diet can delay the time it takes for some bipolar drugs to be absorbed into your body.
If you are taking an MAO inhibitor - an antidepressant - it is important that you avoid foods containing tyramine. Certain foods can cause severe high blood pressure in people taking MAO inhibitors, including:
Ripe bananas Beer Fermented cheese Chicken Some wines Soy sauce in bulk.

Instructions for use of most psychiatric drugs warn users not to drink alcohol. But people with bipolar disorder often abuse alcohol.
Alcohol is a depressant. That's why many people use alcohol as a sedative when times are tough or as an aid to stressful situations. While some patients stop drinking when depressed, many patients with bipolar disorder drink during their depressive episodes. People with bipolar disorder are five times more likely to experience alcohol abuse and addiction than the general population.
Alcohol is a leading trigger for depressive episodes in many people prone to depression or bipolar disorder. Alcohol abuse can seriously disrupt treatment efforts.

Patients with bipolar disorder should be careful when intending to eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice. Because grapefruit can increase blood levels of many psychiatric medications used in bipolar disorder, including:
Antidepressants such as: Fluvoxamine (Luvox) or Sertraline (Zoloft),... anti-anxiety medications such as Buspirone (Buspar). Anticonvulsants: such as Carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Epitol, Equetro, Tegretol) Antipsychotics such as Lurasidone (Latuda), Quetiapine (Seroquel), or Ziprasidone Geodon. Sedatives such as Alprazolam (Xanax), Clonazepam (Klonopin), Diazepam (Valium) and Lorazepam...

Each bipolar disorder medication is taken differently. Therefore, you need to talk to your doctor or pharmacist before using it. Some medications can be taken with or before meals. Other medicines are absorbed better when taken with food or less effective if taken with food.
Your doctor or pharmacist will give you the best advice on using medicine for bipolar disorder so you can take it safely and get the most out of it.
Vinmec International General Hospital with a system of modern facilities, medical equipment and a team of experts and doctors with many years of experience in medical examination and treatment, patients can rest assured to visit. examination and treatment at the Hospital.
To register for examination and treatment at Vinmec International General Hospital, you can contact Vinmec Health System nationwide, or register online HERE.
Reference source: webmd.com

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