Bulimia nervosa, generally known as bulimia, is a psychologically stirred eating disorder whereby a person experiences regular phases of binge eating (overeating) which is followed by a compensatory act like purging, fasting or exercise. Bulimia tends to affect young women more frequently and is stimulated by psychological concerns like lack of control, self-esteem etc. It is potentially harmful and can lead to several health-related issues like dehydration, malnutrition, insomnia, diabetes, anemia, arthritis, depression, hypertension and many others.

Although bulimia is hard to diagnose during the early stages, it should be dealt with immediately and regularly to ensure a speedy and permanent recovery. It is essential to treat bulimia such that its symptoms do not return with time; this requires the careful consideration and selection of the most effective treatment method among several like self-recovery, therapy, anti-psychotics, inpatient programs and anonymous centers.

A recent study was conducted on the influence on brain chemicals on our moods. According to this study, an irregular level of a brain chemical called serotonin is primarily responsible for causing bulimia. Serotonin causes our bodies to rely on external sources for its supply; as a result, one may binge on the available food to quench this desire.

Although antidepressants are available that help to balance out the levels of serotonin, its side-effects make it a less preferred alternative.

Dr. Judith Wurtman, the director of the Program in Womens Health at the MIT Clinical Research Center (CRC), spent 17 years studying the correlation between food, mood and brain chemistry. Relying on her comprehensive study, she remarked that biochemical differences are prevalent between people who binge and who do not binge. On the basis of this finding, she asserts that it is essential to target this difference for the treatment of bulimia. In this manner, bulimic people can be helped to get rid of their self-esteem, guilt and anxiety issues.

Dr. Wurtman bases her theory on the consumption of carbohydrates and starchy foods; she says that serotonin can be produced in the brain when carbohydrate-rich foods are eaten. Certain people have the habit of eating sweet and starchy foods when they are tensed or anxious; they do this in an attempt to self-medicate. Similarly, moods can greatly be regulated by achieving a serotonin balance in the brain which is possible with the consumption of carbohydrates.

Serotonin, in this manner, forces the individual to take in carbohydrates and this helps to regain composure; Dr. Wurtman expresses this in simple words. She said that when produced in sufficient quantity, serotonin makes people feel less anxious, less depressed, more alert, more emotionally stable. But, on the other hand, when it is not available in sufficient quantities in the brain, it sets up feelings of emotional discomfort, depressed feelings, anxiety, inability to focus, and an irresistible craving to eat sweet and starchy foods.