Diet and Mood: Can food affect your mood?
Introduction
Did you know that just as diet affects your physical health; it also affects your mood and mental health?
In fact, it’s our food that provides, or fails to provide, the many chemical building blocks needed to produce neurotransmitters.
The relationship between food and mood was clearly demonstrated in a study done by researchers of University of Sheffield, England. In this trial, 20 healthy men and women were asked to eat high- and low-fat diets for several weeks. Quite amazingly, people following the low-fat diet developed greater feelings of depression, dejection, and anger. In contrast, those eating high-fat diets had improvements in mood. Still other research has found that people who eat fish less than once a week are one-third more likely to experience mild to severe depression. A possible reason for this could be the fact that fish is rich in good omega-3 fats needed for normal brain function.
For the same reason, several nutritionally oriented psychiatrists regularly train their patients on how diet and specific nutrients impact mood and feelings of depression. They ask their patients to avoid foods high in refined sugar (such as soft drinks and sweets) and other refined carbohydrates (white bread and pasta), in favor of more wholesome foods, such as lean meats, fish, and vegetables. These wholesome foods help stabilize blood-sugar levels. The relationship between blood sugar (glucose) and depression may also be significant. Researchers have long known that people with diabetes are particularly susceptible to depression, but their moods improve when their blood-sugar levels remain relatively stable. Until recently, the reason had not been clear.
But it’s not just about depression!
The connection between food and mood is not limited to depression only. Some foods are both healing and stressful. For example, caffeine and chocolate provide initial exhilaration. Caffeine improves focus and stimulates motivation (being a central nervous system stimulant). Chocolate also gives us mixed results. It is rich in sugar and fat, yet full of cell protecting, disease killing antioxidants. These are called flavanols. Two studies published in the Lancet suggest that these flavanols decrease LDL cholesterol, the “bad” type of cholesterol responsible for clogging arteries. Pure cocoa has the highest levels of flavanols while milk chocolate has the lowest.
Understanding the food-mood connection…
The ups and downs of our mood associated with the food can be linked with the most famous “neurotransmitter production” theory. Neurotransmitters are the chemicals involved in brain and other nervous system functions. Also called brain hormones, many of these chemicals are made up of amino acids, the building blocks of protein. If you limit the amount and types of protein in your diet, or overdo eating concentrated sweets and other simple carbohydrates, the balance of neurotransmitters in your body may be affected. This, eventually affects appetite, cravings, sex drive, energy and sleeping patterns.
Interestingly but unfortunately, this neurotransmitter depletion also occurs as a result of dieting, with the largest declines noted in women who are victims of “excessive” dieting. The level of the most commonly known neurotransmitter – serotonin – drops even if you have only been dieting for three weeks! You can easily imagine what can happen with frequent dieting: fatigue, lack of focus, bad moods, cravings and an overall lower level of willpower.
The link with diet is really a pretty straightforward one, as serotonin is made from an amino acid, tryptophan, along with other nutrients such as vitamin B6, B12 and folic acid. Tryptophan is found in protein-rich foods; however in order for it to have access to and work in the brain, a source of carbohydrate is needed too. Minerals e.g. zinc, magnesium and calcium are also important.
Effect of eating carbohydrate-rich food on mood
Eating carbohydrate-containing foods causes increased neurotransmitter production. When serotonin levels drop too low, the body attempts to get things back to normal by increasing serotonin. This occurs through cravings for sugary sweet refined carbohydrate foods, such as candies, cookies, jams, icing and other desserts. Why the singling out of these foods? Because they are refined, it takes relatively little time for the body to digest them, so their effect on serotonin production is the most rapid.
The problem really occurs after the cravings are satisfied, because these simple carbohydrate foods also tend to cause a rapid rise in blood glucose, followed by a sharp plummet. This results in an ongoing cycle that doesn’t get the chance to smooth out unless food choices change. Examples of the more desirable, higher quality, complex carbohydrates are whole grains and cereals, most fresh and frozen vegetables and fruits without added sugar, lentils, peas, beans, brown rice, oat and rice bran, seeds and nuts.
Here is a list of foods to add to your diet and foods to avoid:
Mood supporters
• Vegetables
• Fruit
• Swimming fish
• Nuts
• Beans
• Non-fat dairy products
• Egg whites
• Whole grains
Mood depressors
• Caffeine
• Alcohol
• Sugar
• White flour
In short, making wise food choices will not only help you achieve your fitness goals without putting yourself in the unnecessary struggle of dieting but will also prevent you from several (especially mood-related) kinds of illness.
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