Review, 1993

Is low brain serotonin linked to mood swings and the weight gain and carb cravings that can come with them?

This review argues that brain serotonin plays a role in linking mood changes to carbohydrate cravings and weight gain, and that treatments which raise serotonin activity can improve both mood and eating control, but it is a summary of past research, not a new study.

Early or limited evidence Not a specific study group; a review of prior research on mood, appetite, and serotonin

What they did

This is a review article. The authors looked at existing research on mood changes (daily, monthly, or seasonal), appetite, carbohydrate intake, exercise, and brain serotonin, rather than running a new experiment.

What they found

The review states that people who struggle to maintain a normal weight may be sensitive to mood changes that lead to eating more carbohydrate-rich food and to less exercise. It notes that dietary and drug treatments that increase serotonin activity have been shown, in prior studies, to normalize food intake and reduce depressed mood.

What it means for you

The authors suggest that keeping serotonin-related mood steady, through ongoing or periodic treatment, may help prevent repeated cycles of weight gain. As a review with no new data, no numbers, sample sizes, or study designs are given, so the strength of the evidence behind each claim can't be checked from this abstract alone.

About the study

Original title: Depression and weight gain: the serotonin connection
Authors: Wurtman JJ
Journal: Journal of affective disorders
Year: 1993
Study design: Review
What was tested: Dietary and drug approaches that increase serotonin activity (discussed based on earlier studies, not tested here)
Read the paper: doi.org/10.1016/0165-0327(93)90032-f

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