For most people, therapy or medication alone is enough to manage their symptoms of bipolar disorder effectively. But if you or someone you know has been diagnosed with this condition, you might wonder if diet affects it.
Does eating certain foods or removing some products from your daily diet help you control your symptoms with medication or therapy?
Table of Contents:
Bipolar Disorder Defined
Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition known to cause discrepancies in a person’s mood. The highs in bipolar disorder are usually called mania, while the lows are known as depression. Not all bipolar disorder patients experience depression or full mania.
Changes in mood due to this condition might happen out of nowhere and affect your sleep patterns, judgment, energy level, or even your decision-making ability.
Types of Bipolar Disorder
The following are the different types of bipolar disorder:
Bipolar I
With mania characterizing it, people with bipolar I may also suffer from a lesser state of mania known as hypomania or depression. These episodes might last for days, weeks, or even months and years. At least a single manic episode is required to diagnose bipolar I.
Bipolar II
Those with bipolar II may suffer from hypomania and depression but don’t necessarily experience mania. It may be more challenging to pinpoint hypomania and may also include less severe mania-related symptoms.
Cyclothymic Disorder
Low and high moods that might not qualify as major depression or mania often characterize cyclothymic disorder, which is usually regarded as a mild type of bipolar disorder.
Is There a Diet for Bipolar Disorder?
Some people who have bipolar disorder may claim that the keto or ketogenic diet helps in reducing their symptoms. Following a keto diet involves removing all carbohydrates from your meals.
The human body burns carbohydrates and turns them into energy. If you’re following a keto diet, the body will burn fat instead because of the absence of carbohydrates.
A diet without carbohydrates, like a ketogenic one, might affect your mental and physical health. But benefits can be found in any form of a nutritious diet.