Diet and Depression

by Sarah Freeman, Guest Author, www.bipolar-lives.com
(USA)

The diet and depression connection is well researched and well publicized. However, many misunderstandings remain entrenched. Ask a dozen "experts" what foods do most to boost or to undermine mood, and chances are you will get a dozen different answers.

If you are interested in using food to improve mood, it is essential to obtain up-to-date, accurate, and reliable information. For example, this Psychology Today article, Your Brain on Food explains the precise neurobiological links between diet and depression and cognitive functioning, especially the importance of omega-3s (essential fatty acids).

Another good overview is provided in this summary of exactly why a Mediterranean Diet full of olive oil, vegetable, fruit, nuts, and fish is associated with lower rates of depression: see Mediterranean Diet Associated With Reduced Risk Of Depression.

A strong understanding of the mood and mood connection requires knowing not just what to eat, but which supplements and especially herbs can help with the physicial symptoms of depression.

It's also important to know what to avoid...

For example, depression, fatigue, anxiety, and irritability can result from fluctuating blood sugar if you eat simple carbohydrates such as heavily sweetened breakfast cereal, donuts, and ice cream.

Also, today most of us know that trans fats and saturated fats are bad for our physical health, especially our hearts. But did you know these "bad" fats also damage mental health? That's right. Trans fats and saturated fats have both been shown to damage the brain and disrupt brain chemistry. For example, trans fats deplete the brain’s supply of the "feel good" neurotransmitter dopamine.

Further, "bad" fats can interfere with the normal mechanisms of insulin production just as much as eating too much sugar does. Excess insulin and the resulting spikes and plunges in blood sugar promote emotional problems such as depression, irritability, bad judgment and cloudy thinking.

One of the easiest ways to take advantage of the diet and depression connection is to take a simple multivitamin. One that focuses on B group minerals and includes some essential minerals and amino acids is best.


This is not so much a case of "more being better" than it is of avoiding the vitamin and mineral deficiencies that research has shown to be associated with depression.

Nutrients you need to fight depression and boost overall mental and physical health include:

• Vitamin B1 (thiamine)


• Vitamin B3 (niacin)


• Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid)


• Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)


• Vitamin B12


• Folic acid


• Magnesium


• Calcium


• Tryptophan


• Tyrosine


• St. John's Wort


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These are all often contained in a good value for money multivitamin you can buy at the supermarket, with no need to spend a lot of money on expensive supplements.

However, if you do not like fish and are not happy to eat at least three servings a week of fatty fish such as salmon, sardines, and mackerel then you should take a fish oil or omega-3 supplement as well.

This free Special Report on Food and Mood is an easy to read, lay person's guide to how what you eat drives your emotional and mental state.

Finally, it is important to understand that diet and depression is only half the story. The wrong foods not only make you sad or blue – they can also contribute to poor concentration, foggy thinking, irritability, impulsivity, and even rage.

See The Bipolar Diet to discover how poor food choices are a ticket to an emotional roller coaster.

Can major clinical depression be cured just with a better diet? No. Can the right food choices contribute to better moods and emotional health and form the cornerstone of a depression treatment plan? Absolutely!

Click here for more information on what is emotional health, and how food, herbs and other home remedies can be used to help to keep it in balance..

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