  urlLink BBC NEWS | Health | Atkins 'can put you in bad mood' : "A team from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has found carbohydrates help to stimulate production of a key brain chemical called serotonin. It controls our emotions, and a shortage can lead to mood swings and depression. The Atkins diet has become hugely popular despite concerns over its effect on health. Some experts are concerned about whether it might trigger diabetes and kidney damage in the long term. Researcher Dr Judith Wurtman said: 'When serotonin is made and becomes active in your brain, its effect on your appetite is to make you feel full before your stomach is stuffed and stretched. 'But serotonin is crucial not only to control your appetite and stop you from overeating; it's essential to keep your moods regulated. ' Antidepressant medications are designed to make serotonin more active in the brain and extend that activity for longer periods of time to assist in regulating moods. Because carbohydrates raise serotonin levels naturally they effectively act like a natural tranquilizer. The MIT team discovered that the brain makes serotonin only after a person consumes sweet or starchy carbohydrates. " 
