Food and Mood: 6 Nutrients For Anxiety and Depression
Food Can Help with Anxiety and Depression
Nearly 1 in 5 American adults experiences a mood disorder in their lifetimes, according to the information on the National Institute of Mental Health page at the time of writing. These statistics pull information from the early 2000s, and I would hazard a guess that they are even higher today in our post-pandemic world. The rates appear to be higher in females, and the rates are higher in younger versus older adults.
Anxiety is a normal, short-term response to certain situations in life, like taking a test or making a presentation at work, but for some, the feelings of worry, irritability, fatigue, and muscle tension don’t resolve or get worse over time.
Depression symptoms can include feelings of emptiness or sadness, a lack of interest in pleasurable activities, decreased energy, feelings of worthlessness or helplessness, and/or pain, headaches, or digestive issues without a clear cause. Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, is a subcategory of depression and can present in winter and summer variations, though winter is most common. Symptoms of winter pattern SAD include oversleeping, social withdrawal (hibernating), craving carbohydrate-rich foods, and having low energy.
Anxiety disorders and depression are commonly treated with medications and/or psychotherapy. Both are amazing life-saving tools. Nutrition and lifestyle changes can also support improvements in mental health and can be used in conjunction with other tools.
Sugar, Caffeine, and Alcohol May Fuel Feelings of Anxiety and Depression
What we eat does impact how we feel. If we skip regular meals and prop ourselves up with caffeine, sugar, and refined snack foods, we are not only missing important nutrients, but we are also causing blood sugar, our brain’s preferred energy source, to erratically spike and drop throughout the day, which is very stressful on the body.
When we first eat a sugary treat, we get a flood of improved mood and feelings of contentment, but in general, those are short-lived, and we end up with a blood sugar crash, which often leaves us feeling anxious, irritable, and tired (plus craving another quick hit of sugar for energy, which repeats the process).
Caffeine, which can feel like a lifeline after a night of poor sleep, can also perpetuate the cycle. There is a certain amount of genetics in the mix with caffeine, but with increased intake, we see increased irritability and nervousness. Regular use can cause unsatisfactory sleep and depressed moods. Poor sleep impacts blood sugar regulation and leads to more cravings, which perpetuates the cycle.
Alcohol can have similar effects; it can feel helpful in the moment but, in the long run, have a negative impact. Alcohol can temporarily relieve feelings of anxiety and depression, but with increased intake, an uptick in anxiety or anger can occur. Regular, excessive intake reduces serotonin and starts to change brain chemistry. Unlike caffeine, which stimulates the central nervous system, alcohol depresses or numbs it. It also impacts blood sugar and disrupts restful sleep.
We often use external tools to help regulate our feelings, which is exactly what happens when reaching for alcohol, sugar, and caffeine. Heck, even mediation and exercise are external tools to regulate our inner state. The difference is that tools like exercise and meditation support long-term improvements rather than the short-term fix of sugar, caffeine, and alcohol that leave us anxious, sad, and depleted shortly after use.
This is not to say you can never enjoy a cup of coffee, a glass of wine, or a cookie, but just to check in with yourself. Are you having those things because they bring you pleasure or because they numb you out?
6 Mood-Boosting Nutrients
There are some key nutrients that studies indicate are often low in those dealing with mood disorders. Ideally, we would get these nutrients from the food we eat, but sometimes supplements can help fill in the gap. It is important to work with a qualified provider to determine if supplementation is right for you and what forms or amounts are appropriate. Below are a six nutrients to consider and the best food sources.
1. Protein (Tryptophan and Phenylalanine)
Proteins are made up of amino acids, and amino acids are the building blocks of neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers in the body and have a role in how we feel.
Serotonin is the most discussed relaxing neurotransmitter. It is associated with a positive mood and normal sleep patterns. Low serotonin has been associated with anxiety, obsessive-compulsive thoughts, constipation (it has a role in gut contractions), and sleep because it is a precursor to melatonin. Tryptophan is the amino acid that supports the serotonin pathway.
Dopamine is a stimulating neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward-seeking behaviors. Low dopamine can translate to low motivation, and a loss of interest. Low dopamine is often found in those with thrill-seeking tendencies or addictive behaviors like shopping, gambling, or drugs. These activities can give a short-term dopamine boost. Phenylalanine is the amino acid that supports the dopamine pathway.
Good food sources of tryptophan and phenylalanine include meats, poultry, fish, eggs, and cottage cheese.
As shown in the figure below, dietary proteins are broken down into amino acids during digestion and then move through a series of steps that require different vitamins and minerals to make neurotransmitters. If we don’t have adequate nutritional inputs, the process is slowed down. Therefore, adequate intake of protein may help reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression.
2.Magnesium
Magnesium has a role in many biological processes in the body, including in the central nervous system and energy production. It is also required in the neurotransmitter pathways outlined above.
Magnesium is sometimes referred to as the relaxation mineral because of its role in how the body responds to and regulates stress. Lower magnesium levels have been associated with mental health disorders like depression. There are documented cases of improvement in depression symptoms within a week of supplementing with enough magnesium to restore levels.
The magnesium levels in food can vary depending on the soil in which it was grown and food processing. In general, foods that contain high levels of magnesium include leafy greens like spinach, beans, nuts, seeds, and dark chocolate.
3.B Vitamins
There are several types of B vitamins, and all of them have important roles in the body. Several have roles in the production of neurotransmitters, as mentioned above.
B vitamins, especially B12, B6, and folate, can be thought of as energy vitamins due to their roles in metabolism and the healthy maintenance of brain cells. Signs of deficiency can include fatigue, irritability, poor concentration, anxiety, and depression.
Vitamin B12 is mostly found in animal products like meat, fish, and eggs. A vegetarian source of B12 is nutritional yeast. Vitamin B6 is found in salmon, meat, poultry, and sweet potatoes. Folate is found in foods like leafy greens and legumes.
4.Vitamin D
Vitamin D is a nutrient we can ingest, and it is also a hormone our body can make. Hormones are chemical messengers in our bodies that travel around to help control how certain cells or organs function. Vitamin D has many roles in the body, including maintaining bone health, cell differentiation, growth, immune system health, reducing inflammation, and protecting against depression and fatigue.
Those with fat malabsorption, vegan diets, chronic kidney disease, the elderly, and those living in northern latitudes (hello, Minnesota!) are at increased risk of deficiency.
The best source of vitamin D is not food, but the sun. The exact amount of time and amount of skin that needs to be exposed is debated. Some studies suggest that as few as 5 minutes of sun exposure on arms and hands several times a week may be enough for fair-skinned individuals. This can be harder to achieve than it sounds since many of us work indoors, live in cold climates that require long sleeves and pants to stay warm, and wear sunscreen because skin cancer is no joke.
Whole food sources of vitamin D are rather limited, but do include egg yolks, salmon, sardines, tuna, liver, and some fortified foods like cereals, milk, and orange juice.
5.Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3 fatty acids are widely known to be anti-inflammatory. Often, omega-3 fatty acids are talked about in relation to omega-6 fatty acids, some of which can be inflammatory. Inflammation does have a role in anxiety and depression. The ratio seen for most people consuming a typical Western diet is about 20 omega-6 to 1 omega-3. Historically and in more traditional dietary patterns like the Mediterranean diet, that ratio is thought to be closer to 3 omega-6 to 1 omega-3.
Improving the ratio involves increasing the intake of omega-3 fatty acids and decreasing the more inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids. Food sources of omega-3 fatty acids include fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, and herring. Plant sources include flax seed, chia seed and walnuts. To reduce your intake of omega-6 fatty acids, swap vegetable oils like corn and soy for things like olive and avocado oils.
6.Probiotics
We know that gut bacteria, or the gut microbiome, have a role in health, including mental health. We also know that diet, medications, and environmental exposures can all impact the microbiome. There is a lot of research happening in this area, and we are still in the early stages of understanding what is ideal, how that might vary from person to person, and how or what to change to get the desired outcome.
That said, there is evidence that consuming fermented or cultured foods has been associated with positive mental health. Fermented foods contain probiotics, or live organisms, which can help populate your gut with beneficial bacteria. Beneficial bacteria have roles in producing vitamins like B12 and K2, improving the gut lining, providing immune support, and regulating messages to and from the brain.
There are a host of probiotic supplements on the market, some of which can be beneficial, but regularly eating fermented foods is an easy way to get a wide variety of probiotics. Fermented foods include yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and kimchi.
Supportive Foods for Anxiety and Depression
What we eat does impact how we feel. One of the great things about this list is that there is a lot of overlap in the food sources of key nutrients. Focusing on getting protein to support neurotransmitter pathways also tends to come with vitamins B12 and B6. If that protein happens to come from fatty fish, you get a side of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D. Eating leafy greens for magnesium also gives you a boost of folate. Eating Greek yogurt for probiotics is also a great source of neurotransmitter building amino acids.
Consuming regular meals is a great way to keep blood sugar steady to reduce anxiety and irritability and improve energy levels. This can reduce the need for increased caffeine intake and improve sleep. Food can be a powerful add to your mood-improvement toolbox.
The information provided is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to be medical advice or to diagnosis, treat, cure or prevent any disease. This information does not replace a one-on-one relationship with a physician or healthcare professional. Dietary changes and/or the taking of nutritional supplements may have differing effects on individuals.
To learn more about how working with a nutritionist could help you, schedule a free 15-minute call.