Carbs ‘can help people lose weight and feel happier’

People can improve their moods and lose weight if they include the right carbohydrates in their diets, a nutrition expert has asserted.

Patrick Holford wrote in a piece for the Daily Mail that carbs should not be avoided entirely by slimmers as they are needed to improve levels of the mood-boosting hormone serotonin in the brain.

"Instead, be choosy about the carbs you eat," he advised, recommending oats rather than rice, berries instead of bananas and carrots as a substitute for potatoes.

Mr Holford explained that these are all low-glycaemic-load foods that slowly release sugar, avoiding peaks in the bloodstream.

"By including a slow-release carbohydrate in each meal, you get both weight loss and a mood boost," he added.

Mr Holford also recommended that people should include fish, turkey, chicken, cheese, beans, tofu and eggs in their diets, as these are rich sources of a protein called tryptophan, which is "essential for good mood".

Earlier in the year, research published in the medical journal Archives of Internal Medicine revealed that those who eat an average of 8.4 servings of chocolate per month are more likely to be depressed than those who eat 5.4 servings or fewer per month.

Would you be able to stick to the carb swaps that Mr Holford recommends?