Some of the first solid evidence indicating that certain foods can cause mood disorders in some people has been found in a University of Chicago study that implicates a faulty immune system as the culprit.
``A lot of people said it was impossible to know if food related mood changes were real or if they were all in a person`s mind,`` said Dr. John Crayton, associate professor of psychiatry. ``We have found that it may not be all in their minds.``
The findings tend to support the contention of other doctors, such as Dr. Theron Randolph, that depression, anxiety, irritability, inability to concentrate and other mood disorders may be caused by such foods as sugar, milk, wheat, corn, and chocolate, he said.
While other studies have suggested mood changes from food, the U. of C. study is the first to show major changes in the function of the immune system that occur with behavioral changes after certain foods are consumed, said Crayton.
The study, which involved 23 patients with histories of food reaction complaints mostly involving depression and anxiety and 12 normal subjects, showed that the immune systems of some of the volunteers reacted to the food, he reported last week at the International College of Psychosomatic Medicine meeting on the U. of C. campus.
The subjects, who were placed in super clean hospital rooms for eight days, were given capsules contaning powdered wheat, milk, chocolate and a placebo (inert substance). Neither the subjects nor the investigators knew which capsules were being consumed.
Sixteen of the subjects who had previously complained of food reactions developed the immune changes while at the same time developing depression, anxiety, irritability or other mood alterations, he said.
Wheat and milk produced the most marked reactions, while chocolate was less reactive, he added. The immune reactions should not be confused with traditional food allergies that produce rashes or hives, he explained.
Symptoms normally did not appear until to 2 to 12 hours after the food was eaten, said Crayton. This long delay between food consumption and symptoms may explain why most people do not link food to mood changes, he said.
Although it is not known how an errant immune system may cause mood alterations, there are many possibilities, such as changing hormone levels, chemicals produced by the immune response and alterations in the permeability of brain cells, Crayton said.