The connection Between our FOod and Mood
Have you ever noticed how a big bowl of your comfort food makes you feel better and soothes your soul? Or when you feel absolutely drained you grab a sugary treat, which makes you feel so much better for a while but you feel even worse shortly after?
That is because our food choices play a significant role in our mental well-being and health.
In the following blog post, we will explore how our food choices and our mood are connected and how we can make better choices to improve, not only our well-being but also our mental health.
For the Basics: The food we consume has an effect on our brain and the release of certain neurotransmitters and hormones. Let's also not forget about the Gut-Brain-Axis. The connection between our gut and our Brain has recently drawn more and more attention in research.
The gut provides approximately 95% of total Serotonin receptors. Serotonin is the neurotransmitter that is responsible for managing your emotional state. So ultimately our gut health has a direct effect on our mood and mental well-being.
Carbohydrates for example increase the production of Serotonin, a neurotransmitter that is responsible for our mood and it promotes feelings of happiness and calm.
Sugary and Fatty food on the contrary can trigger the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward. They are especially produced to be extra tasty. So it makes you feel good for a few minutes. However, this feeling of pleasure is usually only short-term.
A diet high in processed, fatty, sugary junk food negatively impacts our mood and mental well-being in the long run.
Foods that are high in sugar and unhealthy fats lead to extreme spikes in your blood sugar level, leading to feelings of anxiety and irritability. Furthermore, consuming a diet high in ultra processed food can lead to nutrient deficiencies, or even more important it makes our gut sick by negatively impacting the gut environment and increases the risk of diseases.
But it is not only the type of food we eat, but also the timing can have an impact on our mood. Skipping meals or eating too irregularly if your body is not used to it can lead to low blood sugar levels which can cause fatigue, brain fog, and irritability. Trans fats, for example, which are in fried foods, pizza, cookies, and a lot of instant foods, are actually linked to anxiety. So is it better to gravitate towards the „light“ version? Well, current studies may suggest that artificial sweeteners might be linked to anxiety and depression.
So what can we do and eat to improve our gut health and to help our mood?
Eating a well-balanced plant-based diet that includes a variety of nutrient-dense food, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein helps not only to regulate our mood but also in preventing mood swings.
Foods that are rich in essential nutrients such as Iron, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, and Vitamin B are important for our optimal brain function and mental health.
However, it is important to take into account how you consume these products. Fruit Juice and smoothies for example hype you up very fast, but will also crash your blood sugar very fast. Yes, they do include some vitamins and minerals. But in Juices and Smoothies the fiber of the fruits, which slows down how your blood takes the energy, gets removed. So you are basically just drinking sugar water, that contains some nutrients.
Coming back to the benefits of eating a whole food plant-based diet. Studies found that people who increased their fruit and vegetable intake had a positive impact on their well-being and they were more stable in their mood (less anxiety, anger, depression, and fatigue). Furthermore, a recent study suggests that eating a healthy balanced diet and avoiding processed foods, may even be protective against depression. Not only that, it might actually help to treat depression.
It's important to acknowledge that our bodies are incredibly intricate and multifaceted. While we can explore and learn about various aspects of human biology, there are still many factors that remain a mystery, and others that are simply too numerous to cover in a single article. It's a reminder that there is always more to discover and understand about ourselves and the world around us.
Sources:
LaChance LR, Ramsey D. Antidepressant foods: An evidence-based nutrient profiling system for depression. World J Psychiatry. 2018 Sep 20;8(3):97-104. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v8.i3.97. PMID: 30254980; PMCID: PMC6147775
Humphries P, Pretorius E, Naudé H. Direct and indirect cellular effects of aspartame on the brain. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2008 Apr;62(4):451-62. doi: 10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602866. Epub 2007 Aug 8. PMID: 17684524.
Uma Naidoo, MD, 2019, https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/gut-feelings-how-food-affects-your-mood-2018120715548
Tuck, N. J., Farrow, C., & Thomas, J. M. (2019). Assessing the effects of vegetable consumption on the psychological health of healthy adults: a systematic review of prospective research. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 110(1), 196-211.