Better Health & Living: Article: Eat To Beat Depression

Issue: November 2008

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Eat To Beat Depression

When you're blue, reach for mood-lifting foods

by Winnie Yu

Published in food+nutrition •eating_right | 0 Comments, Talk about this article »

It’s easy to stop paying attention to what you eat when you’re feeling down. After all, the joy you get from that giant chocolate chip cookie will surely lift your spirits, right? Sorry, but no. After 30 seconds of cookie bliss, you’ll feel worse than you did before you indulged. Bottom line, whether you’re battling full-blown depression or just wrestling with the blues, the foods you eat (or avoid) can make a big difference in how you feel and cope.

“Eating nutrient-dense meals at regular times keeps your energy levels higher and your blood sugar more stable and boosts your vitamin and mineral intake,” says Lisa Dorfman, RD, a licensed psychotherapist and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. “This ensures that your brain, muscles, and other organs get adequate nutrients, which helps control depression’s symptoms.”

Depression is a serious mood disorder that affects approximately 19 million Americans each year, according to the National Institutes of Mental Health. Its symptoms include persistent sadness, feelings of hopelessness, fatigue, irritability, and loss of interest in things you once enjoyed. Although treatment usually involves medication, talk therapy, or a combination of both, what you eat (and drink) can also affect how you feel. Here’s a guide to help you choose foods that beat depression.

Best Foods For Your Mood

Focus on eating complex carbs. When depression triggers a craving for carbs, reach for the healthy complex kind found in fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain foods, Dorfman says. Complex carbs are nutrient dense and will help you feel full longer than when you eat the simple carbs found in bagels, pasta, and other white-flour foods. What’s more, complex carb foods are packed with fiber, which stabilizes blood sugar levels by slowing the absorption of sugar into the blood.

Balance carbs with protein. Spread peanut butter on a whole-wheat bagel or add grilled chicken to your whole-wheat pasta, for example. The carb-protein combo helps prevent mood swings, says Elizabeth Somer, RD, author of Food & Mood.

Sugary treats may give you a momentary burst of energy, but the crash that follows will leave you feeling lower than before.

Eat foods rich in tryptophan. This essential amino acid aids in the production of serotonin—a neurotransmitter that affects mood—which is often low in people with depression. Shrimp, chicken breast, tofu, and spinach are some good sources.

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Choose foods rich in B vitamins. Folate, niacin, and B6 are especially important. Folate is involved in the production of serotonin, and studies have often found low levels of folate in people with depression. Good sources include spinach, lentils, and peas. Niacin aids in the body’s production of tryptophan and helps cells produce energy; you can get it from foods such as chicken breast, yellowfin tuna, and halibut. B6 helps convert tryptophan into serotonin, and it’s abundant in boiled spinach, raw red bell peppers, yellowfin tuna, and bananas.

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Head for the seas. Or better yet, the seafood counter, says Somer. Cold-water fish, such as wild salmon, cod, and Atlantic mackerel, contain mood-boosting omega-3 fatty acids. “Omega-3s are a major component of the brain’s cell membranes,” she says. Of particular importance is DHA, a form of omega-3 that research links to mood regulation and mental function; studies have connected low blood levels of DHA with depression. Eat at least two servings of fish every week or take daily fish-oil capsules containing DHA and another omega-3, EPA.

Watch your iron intake. If there’s not enough iron in your body, your cells don’t get the oxygen they need; this leads to fatigue that worsens depression. Men and postmenopausal women need 8 milligrams a day; premenopausal women need 18 milligrams. Most abundant in red meat, iron is also available in Swiss chard, green beans, and tofu.

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What Not to Eat

Sugary treats Reaching for candies or cookies when you’re blue may help briefly by giving you a hit of energy (a “sugar high”), but the crash that follows can leave you feeling lower than you did before. “Carbs raise serotonin, and when levels are high, you feel better,” says Somer. “The problem with the sugary stuff, though, is that it jacks up your blood sugar, insulin levels skyrocket, and then sugar levels plummet”—and so does your mood.

Fatty comfort foods Cut back on foods high in saturated fat, such as red meat, cheese, and butter. Although depression may make you crave these foods, ultimately, they’ll leave you feeling sluggish and fatigued.

Alcohol and caffeine Alcohol is a depressant, and caffeine is a stimulant that in excess can cause anxiety, irritability, and exhaustion. “Caffeine wreaks havoc with blood sugar levels,” which can leave your moods teetering, Somer says.