Vegetables against depression: how to improve your mood by changing your diet
Posted: Wed Jan 29, 2025 8:08 am
Vegetables against depression: how to improve your mood by changing your diet
Insomnia, anxiety, fatigue, a bad mood and a lack of desire – many of us are very familiar with all of this. You can blame bad weather, lack of sun or problems at work, but first... take a look in the fridge. Research shows that our emotional state is inextricably linked to what we eat. So if all you find is a bag of chips, yesterday's burger and mayonnaise, it's no wonder you feel depressed. Pocket author Michael Easter found out what scientists think about how what we eat is connected to our mood.
People have long been accustomed to thinking about the effect of certain foods they eat on their body condition. How much meat or eggs should you eat to gain muscle mass, does eating jellied meat help strengthen joints, is garlic good for strengthening the immune system, and green tea for delaying aging? Those who read healthy lifestyle magazines clarify all these questions for themselves on a regular basis. But how food affects mental health or the ability to think, we still do not fully understand. And the latest research shows that the connection between our diet and mental well-being is more complex than scientists used to think.
Research used to show the obvious: Fast food is bad for the brain. People who eat vietnam whatsapp list enough fruits, vegetables, and fish are less likely to become depressed than those who eat fatty meats, processed carbohydrates, and sweets. But now scientists are discovering that healthy eating patterns vary, too: Some diets have a more beneficial effect on mental health than others. In a recent report in Molecular Psychology, researchers report on the results of a study of 41 studies examining the relationship between different diets, including the Mediterranean diet, which is based on foods typical of Mediterranean countries, the DASH diet, which is aimed at lowering blood pressure, and the Healthy Eating Index, which is based on dietitians’ recommendations for the US.
The winner was the Mediterranean diet, which includes a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, olive oil, dairy products, grains, legumes, fish, poultry and moderate amounts of meat and wine.
Psychiatrist, Columbia University professor, and author of several books on the relationship between diet and depression Drew Ramsey believes that the Mediterranean diet has a beneficial effect on mental health because it helps fight internal inflammation. “The processes responsible for inflammation affect things like your mood and energy,” he says. “For example, inflammation can get in the way of repair processes in the brain. Many antidepressants also have powerful anti-inflammatory effects, which stimulate brain development.
Scientists also suggest that the Mediterranean diet is beneficial for intestinal flora, the condition of which also affects depression.
However, studies based on self-reported eating habits are not to be relied upon, says Ohio-based nutritionist Trevor Kashi. “People lie, don’t understand how to track their food, and have terrible memories,” he says disappointingly.
More importantly, each of the diets discussed in the 41-study paper helped fight depression. “When we start to analyze which diet is the best, it becomes meaningless,” Ramsey says. “The key thing for people and for institutions that care about mental health is that food choices matter.” The bottom line from comparing diets is that adopting a Mediterranean diet or eliminating inflammatory foods may offer some protection against depression.
Dr. Ramsay has already conducted research that has shown which vitamins and minerals can help prevent or alleviate depression. Depressed mood is associated, in particular, with a lack of folate and vitamin B12. Symptoms of depression are relieved when they are increased in the diet, and they are found in vegetables, liver, fruits and seafood.
Of course, no single food has magical properties. Dr. Ramsey suggests talking about categories of foods rather than specific foods or diets. For example, his research has shown that the foods that contain the most mood-boosting nutrients are spinach, Swiss chard, kale, and lettuce—and it doesn’t matter what you eat, as long as you’re eating some form of leafy green.
Insomnia, anxiety, fatigue, a bad mood and a lack of desire – many of us are very familiar with all of this. You can blame bad weather, lack of sun or problems at work, but first... take a look in the fridge. Research shows that our emotional state is inextricably linked to what we eat. So if all you find is a bag of chips, yesterday's burger and mayonnaise, it's no wonder you feel depressed. Pocket author Michael Easter found out what scientists think about how what we eat is connected to our mood.
People have long been accustomed to thinking about the effect of certain foods they eat on their body condition. How much meat or eggs should you eat to gain muscle mass, does eating jellied meat help strengthen joints, is garlic good for strengthening the immune system, and green tea for delaying aging? Those who read healthy lifestyle magazines clarify all these questions for themselves on a regular basis. But how food affects mental health or the ability to think, we still do not fully understand. And the latest research shows that the connection between our diet and mental well-being is more complex than scientists used to think.
Research used to show the obvious: Fast food is bad for the brain. People who eat vietnam whatsapp list enough fruits, vegetables, and fish are less likely to become depressed than those who eat fatty meats, processed carbohydrates, and sweets. But now scientists are discovering that healthy eating patterns vary, too: Some diets have a more beneficial effect on mental health than others. In a recent report in Molecular Psychology, researchers report on the results of a study of 41 studies examining the relationship between different diets, including the Mediterranean diet, which is based on foods typical of Mediterranean countries, the DASH diet, which is aimed at lowering blood pressure, and the Healthy Eating Index, which is based on dietitians’ recommendations for the US.
The winner was the Mediterranean diet, which includes a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, olive oil, dairy products, grains, legumes, fish, poultry and moderate amounts of meat and wine.
Psychiatrist, Columbia University professor, and author of several books on the relationship between diet and depression Drew Ramsey believes that the Mediterranean diet has a beneficial effect on mental health because it helps fight internal inflammation. “The processes responsible for inflammation affect things like your mood and energy,” he says. “For example, inflammation can get in the way of repair processes in the brain. Many antidepressants also have powerful anti-inflammatory effects, which stimulate brain development.
Scientists also suggest that the Mediterranean diet is beneficial for intestinal flora, the condition of which also affects depression.
However, studies based on self-reported eating habits are not to be relied upon, says Ohio-based nutritionist Trevor Kashi. “People lie, don’t understand how to track their food, and have terrible memories,” he says disappointingly.
More importantly, each of the diets discussed in the 41-study paper helped fight depression. “When we start to analyze which diet is the best, it becomes meaningless,” Ramsey says. “The key thing for people and for institutions that care about mental health is that food choices matter.” The bottom line from comparing diets is that adopting a Mediterranean diet or eliminating inflammatory foods may offer some protection against depression.
Dr. Ramsay has already conducted research that has shown which vitamins and minerals can help prevent or alleviate depression. Depressed mood is associated, in particular, with a lack of folate and vitamin B12. Symptoms of depression are relieved when they are increased in the diet, and they are found in vegetables, liver, fruits and seafood.
Of course, no single food has magical properties. Dr. Ramsey suggests talking about categories of foods rather than specific foods or diets. For example, his research has shown that the foods that contain the most mood-boosting nutrients are spinach, Swiss chard, kale, and lettuce—and it doesn’t matter what you eat, as long as you’re eating some form of leafy green.