Consuming highly refined carbohydrates increases risk of depression post menopause

A diet high in refined carbohydrates may lead to an increased risk for new-onset depression in postmenopausal women, according to a recent study. The study by James Gangwisch, PhD and colleagues in the department of psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) looked at the dietary glycemic index, glycemic load, types of carbohydrates consumed, and depression in data from more than 70,000 postmenopausal women who participated in the National Institutes of Health's Women's Health Initiative Observational Study between 1994 and 1998.