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Ph.D Food & Nutrition

🔸Bipolar disorder, formerly known as manic depression, is a mental health condition characterized by extreme mood swings that include emotional highs (mania or hypomania) and lows (depression). During manic episodes, individuals may feel euphoric, full of energy, and unusually irritable, while depressive episodes cause feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and a lack of interest or pleasure in most activities. These shifts in mood can significantly affect a person’s behavior, energy levels, and ability to carry out daily tasks. 🔸 In 2006, Benjamin Goldstein and his team conducted a study to explore the link between alcohol consumption and bipolar disorder (BD) in 148 patients. The study revealed that participants were not heavy drinkers; men consumed fewer than four drinks per week, while women consumed fewer than 1.5 drinks weekly. Despite this moderate alcohol intake, men with BD who drank closer to four drinks per week experienced more manic episodes and visited A&E more frequently over their lifetime compared to those who drank less. 🔸 Drinking spirits appeared to put men at particular risk. For women, an increase in alcohol consumption heightened the likelihood of experiencing depression and hypomania. 🔸 Other research has shown that heavy alcohol use increases the risk of depression in BD patients and makes it harder for them to follow their prescribed medication regimen. Excessive alcohol consumption can slow recovery from bipolar depression and raise the chances of experiencing a manic episode. These findings strongly suggest that individuals with BD should avoid alcohol or, at the very least, significantly limit its use. #Bipolar_disorder #Alcohol #Diet #Mental_health

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