subject: Anti Depression Foods, Anti Depression Diet [print this page] Anti Depression Foods By Mary Ann Block, DO, PA - Author of
Just Because Youre Depressed Doesnt Mean You Have Depression
There are many nutrients that have been studied which play a role in depression. Because it is difficult today to acquire all the necessary nutrients just from our diet, I do recommend nutritional supplementation and anti depression foods to all of my patients.
Anti depression foods can also be helpful, especially if they are organic. Studies have found that organic foods do contain higher levels of nutrients than our regular grocery stores. Many authorities have explained depression as a serotonin deficiency. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that sends nervous system messages to the brain. It is thought that too low of serotonin in the body is one reason people feel depressed.
I know of no dietary sources of serotonin; however there are many anti depression foods that appear to help with depression and some may enhance serotonin.
One supplement that has been researched extensively and found to be helpful for the feelings of depression is magnesium. Magnesium is found in what may be considered anti depression foods like green leafy vegetables, seeds, beans and nuts like cashews and almonds. These are not the foods we tend to crave when we feel depressed.
The foods we tend to crave when we feel depressed are often the carbohydrates, things like breads, pasta and sweets. These foods have been thought to raise serotonin levels also. It could be why some people feel depressed when they are dieting and avoiding breads, pasta and sweets.
Other deficiencies that have been associated with depressed feelings are the B Vitamins. Vitamin B12 is found only in meats, fish and cheese. Vitamin B6 is found in seeds, beans, banana and nuts. B6 is necessary for the conversion of tryptophan into serotonin. Folic acid and biotin are two more B vitamins that have been shown to help with depression. We can get folic acid from green leafy vegetables, nuts and beans while biotin is found in cheese, soy, organ meats and brown rice. These appear to be anti depression foods as well.
Vitamin C deficiency causes scurvy which can first manifest itself as depression. Long before we might have typical scurvy symptoms we may feel depressed. The most common place we get vitamin C is from citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruit.
Iron, which we obtain from eating red meat, can also be a cause of depression when it is low. Potassium is another important mineral associated with depression. It is found in bananas, cantaloupe, apricots and raisins.
Eating healthy can be very important when it dealing with the symptom of depression. Eating potentially anti depression foods to support the nervous system as mentioned above could help.
In my book, Just Because Youre Depressed Doesnt Mean You have Depression, I discuss other medical causes of depression that are often overlooked.
