The focus on mental health is greater today than it has ever been. From mental health days at schools to a dedicated mental health awareness month, the knowledge and availability of resources is quickly expanding. One of those is the impact that nutrition plays on our mental health. By strategically choosing what we eat we can positively affect our mental health, and the science is available to prove it!
The level of serotonin in our body is directly related to many mental health issues including phobias, depression, and anxiety. The National Library of Medicine has reported that 95% of our body’s serotonin is produced in the intestines. If we want our body to produce an appropriate amount of serotonin, we need to look at our diet and the health of our digestive system. Without this, serotonin production will be negatively impacted, leading to a whole host of potential problems. Fortunately, there are many choices that we can make to ensure we are making the most of each bite.
High Fiber Diet
A high fiber diet helps to boost serotonin and your overall mood. There are two different types of fiber, one found more in fruits and the other found more in vegetables. Both are necessary to have a healthy body. Making sure you eat two servings of fruits and three servings of vegetables a day will go a long way. To get the most bang for your buck, eat as wide of a variety of fruits and vegetables as you can. One easy way to do this is to make sure you eat something from each color of the rainbow each day. This way you maximize the variety of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants delivered to your body.
Tryptophan
Foods with tryptophan have been linked to an increase in serotonin as well. These include foods like turkey, bananas, dried prunes, peanuts, and chocolate. To do this, tryptophan needs a variety of vitamins and minerals to interact with, so again, it is important to regularly eat fruits and vegetables to enjoy this benefit!
B Vitamins
Multiple B vitamins have been linked to the production of serotonin. There are eight different types of B vitamins, and these can be found in seafood, dark green leafy vegetables, whole-grain breads, cereals, and pastas. Some people find it helpful to take a B complex vitamin to ensure they are getting enough.
Omega-3s
The American diet is often high in Omega-6s which can be harmful. Alternatively, diets high in Omega-3s have been found to increase serotonin and help reduce depression and anxiety. With over 60% of our brain composed of fat, fatty acids from Omega-3s help to promote our brain’s ability to regulate mood-related signals. There are two different types of Omega-3s: ALA that is found in plants (flax seeds are a great source) and EPA/DHA that is found primarily in fish. Both should be a regular part of our diet for optimal mental health. If you aren’t getting these through your diet, you may want to consider adding a supplement. If this is a route that you take, make sure you are sourcing it from a reputable company. One that is often recommended is Nordic Naturals, which can be found at most health food stores or online at www.nordic.com.
Antioxidants
A variety of scientific evidence suggests that free radicals play an important role in the development of various mental illnesses, including depression. So what fights free radicals? Here they are again…fruits and vegetables which contain radical fighting antioxidants! Other great sources of antioxidants include nuts, whole grains, spices and green tea.
A study of 3,000 people found that antioxidants lowered the risk of depression, psychological distress, mood and anxiety disorders, and poor overall perceived mental health.” (How Not To Die, Dr. Michael Gregor). The same study also noted the importance of the source of the antioxidant – the best results were seen when the antioxidants were consumed directly from food (versus through vitamins). This is one of many examples where eating directly from the source is the way to go!
Now that you know what can help your mental health, what can harm your state of mind?
Sweetened beverages, like that found in soda and many sports drinks, are believed to be linked to an increased risk of depression (CDC study details). In fact, adding a sweetener can actually remove any benefits a drink may naturally hold. That holds true with coffee where adding a sweetener negates any benefits it may have, and adding an artifical sweetener (aspartame, saccharine), has been linked to an increased risk of depression. In fact, artificial sweeteners have been linked to a feeling of increased depression after only 8 days. Artificial sweeteners are found in more than six thousand products, which makes it more important than ever to read labels and make conscious choices of what we put into our body. But sweetened beverages are not the only negative influence to our mental health. Other foods that have been found to increase anxiety and depression are junk food, alcohol, and caffeine.
By making just a few changes, you can see a big impact in our your mental health. This along with learning how to better manage stress (learn more here), exercise, meditation and other good mental habits can go a long way in impacting how you feel each day.
Healthy Happy Eating!