Eating is one of the best pleasures in life. We cannot say that it is not a joyful activity: although depending on what we are eating, food can make us feel happy in return. It’s a win-win situation: the scientific evidence seems to be in favor of the connection between what you eat and how you feel mentally. So yes, there are foods that can improve your mood.
How does diet influence mental health?
The relationship between diet and long-term mental well-being has been a rather strange concept until recently. Growing research suggests that certain foods and nutrients play a much bigger role than we think. Focusing on certain foods could complement treatment for depression or anxiety and promote general mental well-being.
To help you eat to be happy, there are foods that research shows have the potential to improve your mood.
Keep in mind that while these foods are associated with decreased symptoms of depression and anxiety and / or improved mental well-being in general, eating them will not necessarily eliminate depression, anxiety, or other mental health conditions or symptoms. If you live with a mental health condition or are struggling, it is important to work with a healthcare professional directly.
The best foods to improve your mood
Walnuts
This brain-shaped nut is pretty good for your head. Those who eat this food are observed to have 26 percent lower depression scores compared to those who do not eat nuts, according to a January 2019 study in the journal Nutrients.
And people who ate nuts said they felt more energetic, had a greater interest in doing activities, and generally had fewer feelings of helplessness.
Green Tea
Drinking green tea on a regular basis is linked to reducing anxiety levels, according to an October 2017 study in “Phytomedicine.” Researchers believe that the benefits come from a combination of L-theanine, a compound found naturally in tea leaves, and caffeine.
Drinking green tea is also associated with other benefits for the brain, including memory support and improved attention.
Unsaturated fats
People who ate more saturated fat were found to be more prone to anxiety, according to a February 2020 study in the Annals of General Psychiatry. What’s more, people who ate more unsaturated “healthy” fats, such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, were found to be less likely to have anxiety.
A clear example of the so-called healthy fats are those include fats of vegetable origin such as olives, nuts, seeds, avocado and their oils, as well as blue fish (salmon, sardines and tuna).
Fermented foods
Fermented foods like kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut, kimchi, and miso are rich sources of probiotics. A systematic review and meta-analysis of 34 studies, published in the July 2019 Reviews Neuroscience and Biobehavioral, have concluded that probiotics had small but significant effects on depression and anxiety.
More research is still needed to fully support the brain benefits of fermented foods, but the big picture is that adding fermented foods or probiotics to your diet has the potential to help.
Yoghurt
The combination of probiotics and vitamin D (a nutrient that many yogurts offer) appears to be beneficial for mental health. A June 2018 report, in the journal Advances in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry, randomly assigned a combination of probiotic supplements and vitamin D to adults with diabetes and heart disease and gave another group a placebo.
After 12 weeks, it was observed that those who received the probiotic and supplement D significantly improved depression and anxiety scores.
Oysters and mussels
These bivalves rank highest on the dietary antidepressant score, according to a September 2018 study in the World Journal of Psychiatry.
The researchers designed the scoring system in an effort to identify the most nutrient-dense foods that are associated with preventing depression and depressive symptoms or promoting recovery from these ailments.
Peppers
Also in the World Journal of Psychiatry study, bell peppers were one of the highest-scoring plant-based foods on the antidepressant score – perhaps because of its vitamin C content, which was a key nutrient researchers suspect has antidepressant properties.
Red bell peppers are a great source of vitamin B6, and research suggests that women (specifically middle-aged and older adults) who eat a diet low in B6 have a higher risk of moderate to severe depression, according to a study November 2020 from Nutrients. Nuts, fish, and meats are also excellent sources of B6.
Skimmed milk
Another vitamin that researchers found to have antidepressant benefits is vitamin B12, according to the previous World Journal of Psychiatry study. Low-fat milk is on the short list for the richest food source in B12 – one cup provides 51 percent of the RDA.
If you don’t like it, or can’t drink it, look for B12 in clams, king crab, lean meat, and fortified cereals.
Berries
Pick your favorite or eat a combination of strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries. Eating more fruits and vegetables, especially berries, is linked to better mental health, according to a January 2020 review in Nutrients.
Specifically, it was observed that people who ate more berries had a better mood, more life satisfaction and optimism, and fewer depressive symptoms.
But blueberries get special recognition: They are one of the top dietary sources of the mineral manganese, providing 22 percent of your daily value per cup.
Getting enough manganese in your diet is important for your mental health. Japanese adults with the lowest levels of manganese were observed to be more likely to have symptoms of depression and anxiety, according to an April 2019 study in the journal Nutrients.
Citrus
In that same study, the researchers also identified citrus fruits as being particularly beneficial for mental well-being. Citrus consumers experienced less stress and less likely to have anxiety or depression.
Green leafy vegetables
Leafy greens like spinach, kale, and broccoli are packed with vitamins that support brain health, including vitamin K, lutein, and folic acid, which research shows can help slow cognitive decline. according to Harvard Health Publishing.
Leafy greens have been shown to fight inflammation and severe depression is linked to brain inflammation, according to a March 2015 study in the Archives of General Psychiatry. In addition, a diet rich in dark green leafy vegetables is associated with a decrease in a specific marker of inflammation over time over time.
Avocado
A single avocado provides almost half of your daily fiber needs with 10 grams. Fiber is beneficial for weight management, heart health, and more.
Additionally, creamy green fruit has been linked to greater diversity in your gut microbiome. And that’s valuable for your overall mental health.
Dried apricots
This dried fruit, as well as prunes and raisins, offers healthy doses of plant-based iron. One of the symptoms that is sometimes associated with iron deficiency is sensitivity or irritability. And there is some research to suggest that iron deficiency is linked to anxiety.
When the researchers looked at children who were iron deficient in infancy, they found that the children’s parents and teachers reported increased concern about children’s anxiety – and this was years after their iron deficiency had been corrected. .
Animal foods such as liver, red meat, salmon, and tuna are other excellent sources of iron, especially since your body absorbs it more efficiently than iron from plant foods.
Salmon
Salmon and other cold-water fish, including sardines, tuna, and trout, are considered mood-enhancing foods. They are recommended for their Omega-3 fats, which have been linked to lower rates of depression and anxiety, according to a June 2013 study in the British Journal of Nutrition.
Additionally, eating plenty of foods high in Omega-3 fats is one of the top five dietary recommendations for preventing depression according to a March 2016 Nutritional Neuroscience article.
Whole grains
Whole grains are one of the foods that stand out in a 2016 Nutritional Neuroscience study. Additionally, women who consume moderate amounts of whole grains are observed to have less anxiety and depression compared to women who eat fewer whole grains, according to a study published in November 2017 in the European Journal of Nutrition.
Conversely, women who ate more refined “white” grains were more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety. Although the study was conducted in both men and women, the researchers did not observe these relationships in the men in their study.
Bitter chocolate
Not that you need an excuse to treat yourself to some dark chocolate, but here’s a great reason to satisfy your craving: An ounce of dark chocolate offers 15 percent of your daily recommendation for magnesium, and that’s important because Research shows that magnesium can help fight anxiety.
Eggs
Eggs are an excellent source of choline – 1 large egg has more than a quarter of your daily choline needs.
People with low choline levels are observed to be more likely to have higher levels of anxiety, per an October 2019 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Firm tofu
Tofu, and specifically firm tofu, is one of the main ways to add the mineral copper to your diet: 1 cup provides slightly more than an entire day’s copper value.
Researchers noted that those who did not get enough copper were more likely to have symptoms of depression and anxiety compared to adults who had higher levels of copper in their diets, according to the April 2019 study in Nutrients.
