University of Virginia Health System

  The Right Foods to Improve Your Mood

If you've ever read a menu and mused aloud, "What am I in the mood for?" you have intuitively acknowledged what researchers have begun to explain scientifically - that food and mood are intimately connected in biochemical, as well as emotional, ways.

Although the science is still relatively new, research has begun to reveal how mindful eaters can choose their fuel to help achieve or maintain a desired mental state, according to Susan Del Gobbo, a registered dietitian at the University of Virginia Health System's Nutrition Counseling Center. Del Gobbo says she encourages clients to consciously select the timing and content of food to affect their mood and productivity as well as their weight and overall health.

Timing is Key
For example, she explains, a high-protein lunch is a good way to avoid afternoon slumps because protein foods contain amino acids such as tyrosine, the building block for the alertness transmitters epinephrine, norepinephrine and dopamine.

It makes sense to eat a high-carbohydrate meal in the evening if you are trying to relax and prepare for sleep because carbohydrates encourage the amino acid tryptophan to freely enter the brain where it can boost serotonin levels. Serotonin contributes to feelings of well-being and contentment.

Boost Your Mood & Memory
Nutrition links to depression have also been identified. Scientists have discovered that 15-38 percent of people with depression have low levels of folate, or folic acid, and those with the lowest levels tend to be the most depressed. That's another good reason to eat dark green leafy vegetables, lentils, kidney beans, orange juice and folic acid-enriched cereals and breads. Folate, a B vitamin, must be consumed each day because the body does not store it.

Some studies suggest that low levels of selenium are also linked to depression. Tobacco use and alcohol deplete selenium and the mineral is destroyed in foods that are processed or refined. Wheat germ, garlic, fish, shellfish, whole grains, sunflower seeds and Brazil nuts are all good sources of selenium. 

If your memory is faltering or you want to learn faster, remember to eat your choline, found in soybeans, egg yolks, fish, peanuts and cauliflower. Choline builds acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter responsible for memory functions. Researchers have only begun to reveal the connections between nutrition and mental health but the verdict is already in: eating well can improve our mental health as well as our physical well-being.