Food for Mood

Here are some practical everyday tips that you can use to help balance mood, counter the effects of aging, and boost your energy.

A variety of journals have endorsed the idea that "You are what you eat" and recognize that it's important to "eat the right foods, in the right amounts, at the right times." Nutrition plays a key role in daily mood swings and affects the onset, severity, and duration of mood disorders such as depression. Eating techniques that deal with poor appetite, low energy, and depression can be powerful coping tools for all of us, especially when mood problems exist.

B Vitamins

Although deficiencies in a variety of B vitamins can induce changes in behavior (see the table "Impact of Some Vitamin Deficiencies on Mood"), folic acid deficiency in particular has been associated with various psychiatric disorders, including depression, dementia, and schizophrenia. Low levels of folic acid have been noted in 31 to 35 per cent of depressed patients and in 35 to 92.6 percent of elderly patients admitted to psychiatric wards. In fact, some investigators suggest that folate deficiency, with or without deficiencies in other nutritional factors, may predispose a person to, or aggravate, psychiatric disturbances, particularly depression.

Folic acid promotes the synthesis of serotonin, and reduced serotonin levels have been associated with depression. Foods such as bananas, walnuts, and pineapples are good sources of folic acid.

Tryptophan

Nerve cells synthesize the feel-good brain chemical serotonin through a two-step process that begins with the essential amino acid tryptophan, which can be found in a number of common foods such as milk, turkey, chicken, fish, cooked dried beans and peas, brewer's yeast, peanut butter, nuts, and soybeans. Because tryptophan is such a large molecule, other more easily absorbed amino acids actively compete with it. To ease the absorption of tryptophan, you should eat these protein foods together with carbohydrates such as potatoes, pasta, and rice.

Tyrosine

Tyrosine is an important amino acid that stimulates the production of norepinephrine, another essential neurotransmitter. This nutrient is especially important for people who are feeling excessive fatigue. Foods containing tyrosine include eggs, green beans, lean meat, peas, seafood, aged natural cheese, seaweed, skim milk, tofu, whole-wheat bread, and yogurt.

Sugar, Alcohol, and Highly Sweetened Processed Foods

If brain serotonin levels are low, we're tempted to reach for a quick fix-such as table sugar, alcohol, or highly sweetened processed foods. But simple, or refined, carbohydrates will induce surges in blood sugar followed by more insulin as our bodies try to restore a sugar balance. As the temporary boost in sugar levels declines, glucose levels drop, leading to dullness and fatigue. Such imbalances may perpetuate the cycle of cravings and precipitate a state of depression. Normalization of serotonin levels is probably one of the most important ways to reduce binge-eating and drinking.

Caffeine

Depression has also been associated with high caffeine intake. In a study of healthy college students, moderate and high-intake coffee drinkers scored higher on a depression scale than did low users. Other studies have shown that depressed patients tend to consume fairly large amounts of caffeine (More than 700 milligrams per day).

Eating the Right Foods in the Right Amounts at the Right Times

Generally, foods containing protein will elevate tyrosine levels in the brain and boost dopamine and norepinephrine within minutes, increasing energy and alertness. Similarly, complex carbohydrates raise tryptophan and therefore serotonin levels in the brain, which will result in feelings of relaxation and pleasure.

To combat fatigue during the day, it's best to eat every three to four hours. Here's how it works. Without adequate amounts of the essential amino acid tyrosine, the body is unable to synthesize enough replacement dopamine. This dopamine depletion is thought to trigger fatigue, mood changes, and intense cravings for sugar and addictive substances. But regular small portions of protein-rich foods taken at frequent intervals can restore dopamine balance. Fatigue and depression will also set in if serotonin is not replaced for a long period of time. Increasing complex carbohydrates in conjunction with protein at the right time will restore brain chemistry balance.

Trish Decker of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto has proposed a sample meal pattern that maximizes neurochemical responses in the brain. The menu is based on the concept that we should start with an energizing power breakfast (high-protein) and have a protein-rich morning snack for energy, then eat more protein-rich foods at lunch for energy and a protein-rich afternoon snack for mental stamina. At dinnertime, a carbohydrate-rich meal will help you relax and promote sleep. And the day can be finished off with an after-dinner carbohydrate snack to further promote sleep and relaxation.

Impacts of Some Vitamin Deficiencies on Mood: