Food for mood
Food can have a massive impact on how we feel. Mood imbalances such as anxiety, excessive worry, obsessive behaviour, moodiness and depression can really affect our quality of life.
The above imbalances can be a result of adverse childhood events (ACEs), traumatic events, inflammation in the body, gut imbalances, nutrient deficiencies, poor diet, toxicity, biochemical imbalances, thyroid, adrenal or other hormonal issues. Addressing mood may therefore need a complex multi-factorial approach.
That said, something as simple as keeping your blood sugars balanced can be fundamental for keeping your energy and mood stable. Read more here.
Heal your gut
Read more about the 5R approach and the Elimination diet for healing the gut here. The above diet can help identify food sensitivities that can be triggering inflammation, affecting the gut microbiome or causing a leaky gut, which can all affect mood. A hyper permeable intestine can cause undigested protein particles to pass into the bloodstream resulting in an immune response, which can later lead to confusion where the body begins attacking its own body tissues. See Hashimoto’s- this auto immune thyroid condition is associated with depression and anxiety.
It is important to heal the gut as the gut has a huge impact on the rest of the body. There is a lot of communication between the gut and the brain through the vagus nerve.
The microbiome (bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites that inhabit the gut) can strongly influence mood through the production of feel good neurotransmitters such as serotonin but also through endotoxins or by-products of bad bacteria. Excess candida (yeast) in the gut can cause strong carb and sugar cravings, which then influence our food choices, blood sugar and consequently our mood.
Clean up your diet
As part of healing the gut it is really important to remove heavily processed foods, hydrogenated and trans fats, refined sugar, sweeteners, and poor quality meat as a starting point. Refined vegetable oils should also not be used for cooking- preferably butter, ghee or coconut oil. Olive oil only if cooking at low temperatures.
Caffeine & Alcohol
Caffeine can cause anxiety in susceptible individuals. If you are sensitive to coffee in this way it is best to avoid as well as other caffeinated drinks such as coca cola or red bull that are usually high in sugar or sweeteners. Green tea is very health promoting and may be fine for you.
Alcohol despite seeming to elevate the mood is actually a depressant and can cause serious mood imbalances especially when drunk in excess. It is also known to cause inflammation in the gut and can damage the liver, which then will have a knock on effect on the rest of the body including digestive, thyroid and hormonal health.
Foods and nutrients that can help with mood:
Omega 3s
Low levels of omega 3 essential fats may be associated with anxiety and depression. These fats cannot be produced by the body and must therefore come from the diet.
Seafood: Sardines, mackerel, anchovies, salmon, herring, trout (SMASHT) are the best food sources. Tinned fish is fine too. Make sure you consume sustainably caught seafood.
Seeds: Flaxseeds, edamame beans, walnuts, chia and hemp contain Omega 3s however, it is harder to convert them into the EPA & DHA that the body needs.
Organic dairy and meat, as well as free range eggs: These have significantly less omega 3 than seafood, but recent studies in the British Journal of Nutrition found that they contain around 50% more than non-organic varieties. Animal welfare is also very important to me if I consume meat or dairy products.
Vegan or don’t eat oily fish?
Use flax oil in salads or smoothies
Grind your own flaxseeds and keep them in an airtight container
Include a variety of nuts and seeds in your diet
Omega 3 algae supplements are available
What about vitamin D?
Suboptimal levels of vitamin D are associated with low mood and seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Vitamin D is also very important for immune and gut health. The best way to get vitamin D is from the sun- at least half an hour exposure daily.
Oily fish (see above) is a good food source. You can also find some in free range eggs, organic meat and dairy. Remember, vitamin D production requires sunlight, so animals that roam freely will provide more! It’s highly recommended that everybody supplement with vitamin D in the winter.
Three common mineral deficiencies that can have an impact on mood are :
Zinc
Zinc is fundamental for conversion of Omega 3s into EPA and DHA and is key in many enzymatic reactions such as the production of neurotransmitters. Zinc deficiency been shown to induce depression-like and anxiety-like behaviors and supplementation has been used as a treatment for major depression.
Magnesium
Is nature’s relaxant. This mineral is so fundamental to our health and wellbeing and is abundantly found in nature and still people don’t seem to be getting enough. It helps us to relax and is therefore fantastic for sleep and anxiety.
Good sources are spinach, chard, whole grains, soybeans, cashews, almonds, quinoa, pumpkin and sunflower seeds and legumes such as black beans.
Epsom salt baths are also a good way of getting magnesium into the body or take Magnesium citrate or glycinate for optimal bio-availability.
Selenium
Is fundamental for thyroid function. It is plays a part in the conversion of the hormone T4 into the active T3 form required by all the body’s cells. It is also plays an anti-inflammatory role in thyroid processes and is a potent anti-oxidant. Deficiency can result in thyroid issues which can manifest as depression or anxiety but can also result in obsessive-compulsive behaviour.
It can be found in brazil nuts and whole grains. Soils being quite depleted often one doesn’t get enough and supplementation may be necessary.
B vitamins
Pantothenic acid (B5)
Very important for adrenal function and therefore if your depression or mood disorder is triggered or fuelled by stress this could be an important vitamin to supplement.
B3
Found to be very good for anxiety
Inositol
For obsessive behaviour
B6
B6 is important for the production of progesterone as well as the production of mood enhancing and calming neurotransmitters such as serotonin and GABA as well as dopamine.
B9 and B12
Are important for methylation. A process that is key to the production of neurotransmitters that influence mood as well as detoxification of hormones such as oestrogen. An imbalance of oestrogen in relation to progesterone can also lead to mood disorders such as PMDD.
*You can either take a high potency B complex or supplement the B vitamins individually at high doses if necessary. As they are water soluble any excess usually leaves the body so they are safe to take at higher doses but work with a practitioner.
Adrenals and Thyroid
If stress is part of the picture for you, as it is for most of us, read more about how to alleviate stress here. Stress and adrenal fatigue have a knock on effect on our gut and also other bodily systems such as the thyroid. This can then lead to conditions such as auto-immune thyroiditis (Hashimoto’s) or hypo or hyper thyroidism. These can all result in anxiety and depression. It can also affect sleep, which then will impact how you feel.
Sleep
Restorative and plentiful sleep is key for the healing processes of the body. Insufficient or poor quality sleep can drive inflammation in the body and has been linked to mood disorders. Practice good sleep hygiene like avoiding devices that emit blue light at least two hours before bed, sleeping in a darkened room, doing activities that help you wind down before bed like reading.
Sex hormone imbalances
Oestrogen dominance and corresponding low progesterone is very common in women and can lead to all kinds of conditions such as endometriosis, strong pre-menstrual tension, breast cancer and so on and is associated with mood imbalances.
It is worth getting tested and working with a professional to address this. Luckily, healing the gut and the adrenals will also have a very positive impact on the sex hormones but one may need to look at liver detoxification and more specific dietary recommendations.
Pyroluria
A genetic condition resulting in low levels of zinc and B6 and associated with high levels of social anxiety, bouts of depression, and discomfort in crowds often beginning in childhood.
Once identified, this can be helped through supplementation.
Targeted amino acid therapy
Amino acids such as calming GABA and L-Tyrptophan, precursor to serotonin, can be used as short term therapies to help provide hope that one can feel better when really in a difficult place.
Working with a professional one can identify the right dose and administer to help lift the mood enough to then be able to look for and address root causes of the depression or mood disorder.
I can work to support you with this. See also Trudy Scott for more in depth information.
References:
The Functional Nutrition Cookbook, 2013. Nicolle & Bailey. Singing Dragon: London.
Biochemical Imbalances in Disease, 2010. Nicolle & Beirne eds. Singing Dragon: London.
The Anti-Anxiety food Solution. 2011. Scott, T. New Harbinger Publications: California.
The Magnesium Miracle. 2017. Dean C. Vintage: UK.
Adrenal Thyroid Revolution. 2017. Romm, A. Harper One: New York
Hashimoto’s Protocol. 2017. Wentz, I. Harper One: New York.
Cope EC, Levenson CW. Role of zinc in the development and treatment of mood disorders. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2010 Nov;13(6):685-9. doi: 10.1097/MCO.0b013e32833df61a. PMID: 20689416.
Clapp, Megan et al. “Gut microbiota's effect on mental health: The gut-brain axis.” Clinics and practice vol. 7,4 987. 15 Sep. 2017, doi:10.4081/cp.2017.987
Wang, Jessica et al. “Zinc, Magnesium, Selenium and Depression: A Review of the Evidence, Potential Mechanisms and Implications.” Nutrients vol. 10,5 584. 9 May. 2018, doi:10.3390/nu10050584
Yosaee, Somaye et al. “Effects of zinc, vitamin D, and their co-supplementation on mood, serum cortisol, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor in patients with obesity and mild to moderate depressive symptoms: A phase II, 12-wk, 2 × 2 factorial design, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial.” Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.)vol. 71 (2020): 110601. doi:10.1016/j.nut.2019.110601
Young, Lauren M et al. “A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of B Vitamin Supplementation on Depressive Symptoms, Anxiety, and Stress: Effects on Healthy and 'At-Risk' Individuals.” Nutrients vol. 11,9 2232. 16 Sep. 2019, doi:10.3390/nu11092232
Ford, T.C.; Downey, L.A.; Simpson, T.; McPhee, G.; Oliver, C.; Stough, C. The Effect of a High-Dose Vitamin B Multivitamin Supplement on the Relationship between Brain Metabolism and Blood Biomarkers of Oxidative Stress: A Randomized Control Trial. Nutrients 2018, 10, 1860. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10121860
Larrieu, Thomas, and Sophie Layé. “Food for Mood: Relevance of Nutritional Omega-3 Fatty Acids for Depression and Anxiety.” Frontiers in physiology vol. 9 1047. 6 Aug. 2018, doi:10.3389/fphys.2018.01047
Grosso G, Pajak A, Marventano S, Castellano S, Galvano F, Bucolo C, Drago F, Caraci F. Role of omega-3 fatty acids in the treatment of depressive disorders: a comprehensive meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. PLoS One. 2014 May 7;9(5):e96905. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0096905. PMID: 24805797; PMCID: PMC4013121.
