Foods and Your Mood

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Foods and Your MoodLet food be thy medicine and
medicine thy food.
-Hippocrates
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You are what you eat

• At face value, this age-old expression clearly
  doesnt prove true. However, at the chemical
  level, the foods we eat have a profound effect on
  how we feel both mentally and physically.
• The Myth Eating chicken wont turn you into a
  chicken.
• The Fact Eating chicken can affect the signals
  your brain receives thereby impacting your mood.

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Neurotransmitters

• Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers which
  convey thoughts and actions along neural pathways
  in the brain.
• There are hundreds of neurotransmitters.
• Neurotransmitters are made from amino acids
  which are the building blocks for protein.
• Three neurotransmitters commonly associated with
  mood are serotonin, norepinephrine,
  and dopamine.

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Amino Acids

• Tryptophan ? Used to make Serotonin
• Tyrosine ? Used to make Norepinephrine and
  Dopamine

High carbohydrate foods like pasta, potatoes,
cereals, and breads are good sources. Turkey and
chicken also contain a lot of tryptophan.
High protein foods like fish and soy products are
good sources. Sunflower seeds and almonds also
contain a lot of tyrosine.
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Serotonin

• Optimal levels minimal pain, appetite
  suppression, sense of relaxation tending
  toward sleepiness
• Deficient levels cravings for starchy and
  sweet foods (as the brain tries to make more
  Serotonin), depression, sleep disruption,
  and poor concentration/ obsession with
  unrelated events
• Excessive levels increases nervous tension,
  drowsiness, inability to concentrate

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Norepinephrine

• Optimal levels alertness, excitement, mental
  acuity
• Deficient levels depressed mood, fatigue, poor
  concentration/alertness
• Excessive levels irritability, hostility,
  anxiety (Panic disorder)

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Dopamine

• Optimal levels good motor function, ability to
  focus and attend to issues at hand
• Deficient levels depressed mood, lack of motor
  control (Parkinsons disease), poor
  concentration (ADHD)
• Excessive levels anxiety, paranoia, too much
  focus (drug addictions, Schizophrenia)

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Improve Energy and Alertness
Protein foods are broken down into amino acids
Ingested protein
Tyrosine-a specific amino acid-increases
production of norepinephrine and dopamine.
Norepinephrine and dopamine are associated with
heightened alertness and improved concentration.
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Improve Relaxation and Stress Relief
Insulin clears all amino acids, except
tryptophan, out of blood stream
Increased insulin in blood stream
Ingested carbohydrates
Brain converts tryptophan into serotonin
Tryptophan gets sole access to the brain
In order for this biochemical process to work,
you have to eat a purely carbohydrate based food
(lacking in fat or protein) and it has to be
eaten on an empty stomach. In addition, it can
take 30 minutes or more for you to glean the
desired effect.
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Recommendations to Manage Mood

• Maintain a stable blood sugar, no big swings.
  This means planning to eat frequent small meals
  and snacks, roughly every three to four hours.
• Drink a lot of water.
• Take in tryptophan, an amino acid that makes
  blood sugar accessible to the neurotransmitters..
  
• Have breakfast.
• Spend time in the produce department when you
  shop (try to eat a lot of bright colors, which
  means fruits and veggies).
• Pass on food items that come wrapped in crackly
  cellophane.
• Limit coffee and other high caffeine foods.
• Don't eliminate any one food group, such as
  carbohydrates.

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Diabetes and Depression

• A number of studies have indicated that people
  who are diagnosed with either type I or type II
  diabetes are more likely to also suffer from
  depression.
• Overwhelming/demanding dealing with a chronic
  illness
• Bodys inability to effectively process
  carbohydrate foods can disrupt the tryptophan
  cycle and lead to decreased levels of Serotonin.

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Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Depression

• Numerous studies have indicated that people who
  struggle with depression demonstrate deficiencies
  in EPA and DHA (2 types of omega-3 fatty acids).
• Countries where fatty fish and other sources of
  omega-3 fatty acids are common in the diet have
  lower rates of multiple types of depression.
• The connection with omega-3 fatty acids and
  depression is consistent with mild to major
  depression, seasonal depression, post-partum
  depression, and in suicide.

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Other Possible Food Connections to Depression

• Folic acid deficiency linked to depression
• Low folic acid low serotonin
• Supplemental folate can improve effectiveness of
  antidepressants
• Studies at a loss to explain which comes first,
  depression or deficiency
• Low selenium increased anxiety, irritation,
  hostility, depression
• Selenium found in brazil nuts, tuna, sunflower
  seeds, whole-grain products
• Studies at a loss to explain which comes first,
  depression or deficiency

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Eggs and Alzheimers Disease

• Eggs and other high cholesterol foods like liver
  contain a B vitamin called choline which is a
  precursor to acetylcholine-a neurotransmitter
  responsible for memory.
• Acetylcholine naturally declines with age and is
  associated with sporadic short term memory loss
  often experienced by older adults.
• Studies on patients with Alzheimers disease
  have shown up to a 90 drop in acetylcholine.

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Food Sensitivity and Mental Health

• Recent research has shed interesting light on
  food sensitivities
• Children with food intolerance most often
  present with behavioral symptoms such as
  episodic hyperactivity, irritability or
  irrational behavior that was considered
  uncharacteristic and unpredictable by the
  parents.
• Food additives and food components can
  aggravate ADHD in a number of children. Some
  studies have shown that up to 60 percent of
  children with ADHD have increased behavioral
  problems such as overactivity, aggression and
  violence, after consuming synthetic colorings
  such as tartrazine, flavorings, preservatives,
  and dairy foods.

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Sources

• www.principalhealthnews.com
• www.supermarketguru.com
• www.mtsu.edu
• www.therapyworld.com/mood.foods.cfm
• www.mental-health-matters.com
• www.webmd.com
• www.asehaqld.org.au