Foods to boost your mood!

So whilst we're stuck at home escaping another 'beast from the east' I wanted to cover how we can best support our mood through our nutritional choices and optimal gut health :)

I'm actually going to split this into a two part series so today we'll be focusing on key nutrient deficiencies that may have a negative impact on our mood and how we can boost our intake of these nutrients (ie from which specific foods).

EXAMPLES OF KEY NUTRIENT DEFICIENCIES THAT IMPACT OUR MENTAL HEALTH INCLUDE:

  • AMINO ACIDS - Amino acids are essentially the building blocks of proteins and precursors to neurotransmitters. Put simply without adequate protein in our diets, we can not build the chemical messengers which control our mood.

  • FATTY ACIDS - We need adequate intake of fatty acids to support brain structure and neural communication. The omega 3 fatty acid DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) is particularly important for this communication, and plays a key role in brain development and growth. EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) is also associated with improving mood disorders and cognition. Fatty acid deficiency is associated with depression and anxiety.

  • B VITAMINS - Deficiencies in multiple different B vitamins have huge implications for our mental health, for example vitamin B6 is a key cofactor in the conversion of tryptophan (an essential protein) to 5HTP (5-Hydroxytryptophan) which is the precursor to serotonin (a neurotransmitter which is considered a key mood stabiliser). Low levels of B6 are consequently associated with depression. Vitamin B9 (folate) is another key cofactor for the production of serotonin, epinephrine (adrenaline) and dopamine (which mediates the pleasure response). Low levels of B vitamins are also associated with anxiety, this can be exacerbated by excess caffeine consumption which inhibits the neurotransmitter GABA (Gaba Aminobutyric Acid). This neurotransmitter reduces anxiety-inducing signals in the brain and has a calming effect.

  • VITAMIN C - Again vitamin C promotes production of serotonin and norepinephrine (noradrenaline) and the body's need for vitamin C increases during times of emotional and physical stress. It's worth noting that levels of water soluble vitamins (vitamins B & C) are commonly found to be depleted in athletes.

  • VITAMIN D - A key fat soluble 'vitamin' (it's actually considered a hormone) in the prevention and treatment of depression. Vitamin D stimulates the release of endorphins and the production of serotonin. Low vitamin D (as well as zinc) can also contribute to low levels of testosterone, which can again lead to depression. Furthermore, in SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), low levels of vitamin D can impair the tryptophan---->5HTP---> serotonin-----> melatonin (sleep hormone) pathway, this hinders both mood and sleep.

  • CHROMIUM - plays a key role in regulating your blood sugar and is used for depression and mood regulation associated with hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). It also plays a role in reducing carb cravings and binge eating.

  • MAGNESIUM - improves serotonin production, it helps to reduce symptoms of anxiety, stress, irritability and insomnia. Magnesium has been found to modulate GABA activity in the brain. Deficiency is also associated with depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder.

  • POTASSIUM - plays a key role in the electrical conductivity of the brain, transporting serotonin and delivering oxygen to the brain. Potassium deficiency is associated with depression, insomnia, mental fatigue and mood swings.

  • SODIUM - whilst we don't want to consume excess amounts of refined foods which are high in sodium, it is still essential for healthy functioning of the nervous system. So a low sodium diet can also be detrimental to our mental health. Sodium deficiency is associated with lethargy, confusion, irritability and fatigue

  • ZINC - deficiency is associated with depression, aggression and impaired memory. As mentioned zinc is also a cofactor for healthy testosterone levels which also impact mood.

  • IRON - another cofactor for neurotransmitter production in that it's again needed for the tryptophan --->5HTP----> serotonin conversion. Iron can often be depleted in plant based diets (as plant sources of iron are not as readily absorbed) or with those with celiac disease or a candida overgrowth.

So let's look at how a varied and nutrient dense diet can start to address these deficiencies and in turn support our mental health.

SPECIFIC FOODS TO SUPPORT OUR MOOD AND OVERALL MENTAL WELL BEING

AMINO ACIDS - aim to include a source of protein at each meal and snack, these can be from a variety of plant and animal sources such as nuts, seeds, legumes, meat, fish, eggs, dairy etc. Avoid relying on the same protein sources day in day out to insure you are getting a broad variety of essential amino acids (proteins we can not make within the body and must obtained from food).

FATTY ACIDS - EPA and DHA can be found in fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel and sardines, they can also be converted from the fatty acid ALA (alpha linoelic acid) which can also be found in hemp seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds and walnuts. However, it's worth noting that this conversion is not particularly efficient and is reliant on adequate levels of magnesium and zinc.

B VITAMINS - sources of general B vitamins include: lentils, tuna, sardines, leafy greens, shiitake mushrooms, organ meat, legumes, rice, meat, nuts, seeds etc. In particular we mentioned vitamin B6 (eg sunflower seeds, pistachio nuts, tuna, salmon, avocado, chicken, spinach, red bell pepper etc) and folate (eg asparagus, beef liver, avocado, sprouts, root veg, salmon, spinach, whole grains).

VITAMIN C - sources of vitamin C include: broccoli, sprouts, bell peppers, citrus fruits, cantaloupe, kiwi fruit, oranges, cauliflower, potatoes, papaya, pineapple, strawberries, tomatoes etc

VITAMIN D - egg yolks, red meat, liver and oily fish such as sardines, mackerel and salmon are all great sources of vitamin D. In terms of plant sources, you can also get a small amount from mushrooms. Sunlight is obviously our key source of vitamin D (not that we can rely on that much at the moment)

CHROMIUM - sources of chromium include: liver, mushrooms, whole grains, beef, poultry, broccoli, potatoes, green beans etc

MAGNESIUM - you can source magnesium from: almonds, avocados, legumes, nuts, seeds, spinach, yoghurt, whole grains,oats etc. It's worth noting that magnesium deficiency is very common particularly when there's a history of poor blood sugar regulation (it rapidly gets used up to metabolise glucose).

POTASSIUM - sources of potassium include: avocado, beetroot, carrots, cod, turkey, salmon, bananas, tuna, spinach, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, coconut water etc

SODIUM - whilst we want to avoid excess sodium from refined food, you can source sodium from: sea salt (try to avoid refined table salt), bananas, coconut water etc

ZINC - sources of zinc include: pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, cashews, lentils, oysters, poultry, lamb etc

IRON - you can source iron from: meat, fish, liver, lentils, spinach, beans, tofu, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds etc

This is by no means an exclusive list of the nutrients involved in supporting your mental health, but hopefully it gives you an idea of some of the key ones, and yes you can use supplements to boost levels of these nutrients, but I recommend starting with a food first approach where possible.

As always, I hope this has been helpful and do shoot through any questions you might have. In the next update we'll be looking at the connection between our gut health and our mental health and how to support our mood through optimal digestive health.

Stay well :)

Harri

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The content in this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding your health.