Food: The Secret to Alleviating Depressive Symptoms
- Jan 7, 2020
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 27, 2020
Do you feel sad for long periods of time? Lose interest in activities you used to enjoy? Isolate yourself from loved ones? Feel that your life is purposeless? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you are not alone: the National Institute of Mental Health reports that 20% of adolescents aged 12-17 experience at least one depressive episode (1). Common treatments for depression include talk therapy (cognitive behavioral therapy, psychotherapy, etc.) and medication (antidepressants, SSRI, etc.). But what if I told you that researchers have found a less expensive and less time consuming way to treat depression? All you have to do is alter your diet.
Foods to eat:
Dark Chocolate
Rejoice, chocolate lovers! Your favorite treat actually benefits your mental health. After surveying 13,000 Americans, researchers found that participants who consumed dark chocolate in the past 24 hours were 70% less likely to report depressive symptoms. The researchers attributed this benefit to multiple components of dark chocolate: flavanols which improve mood, caffeine which spikes cognition and energy, fatty acids which are anti-inflammatory, and phenylethylamine which prompts dopamine release (2).
Blueberries
Antioxidants found in blueberries are known to protect brain cells and decrease oxidative stress (3). No wonder blueberries are considered a superfood! In fact, researchers found that both adults and children who consumed a blueberry drink reported an increase in positive affect two hours later (4). Blueberries are extremely easy to incorporate into your diet: top off your oatmeal with blueberries, spread blueberry jam onto your toast, or make yourself a blueberry smoothie. You will feel much happier in no time!
Walnuts
If you are nuts for walnuts, I have good news for you. Researchers recently surveyed 26,000 Americans and found that participants who consumed one ounce of walnuts each day were 26% less likely to suffer from depression compared to those who did not regularly consume walnuts (5). So the next time that you are rushing out of the house to get to school and do not have time to make yourself breakfast, grab a handful of walnuts to improve your chances of enjoying your day.
Foods to Limit:
Sugar
Your boyfriend just broke up with you, and your first instinct is to open the fridge and take out a pint of ice cream. Although eating ice cream may give you instant pleasure, this sugar-laden dessert will actually make you more depressed in the long run. After analyzing the sugar intake of 23,000 people, researcher Knüppel found that men who consumed greater than 17 teaspoons of sugar per day were 23% more likely to experience depression over a five year period compared to men who consumed less than 10 teaspoons per day (6). An excessive amount of sugar increases depressive symptoms due to a decrease in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (7).
Refined Carbohydrates
As a carb lover, I enjoy indulging in pasta, french bread, and white rice. Sadly, the monster known as depression loves it, too: researchers analyzed a group of women and found that refined grain consumption was associated with a higher probability of depression (8). However, this research does not suggest cutting out all carbohydrates from your diet, as there are many healthy alternatives to simple carbohydrates: e.g. swap regular pasta for lentil pasta, white bread for whole grain bread, and white rice for brown rice or quinoa.
Processed Foods
Not only do hot dogs, fried chicken, and pizza add inches to your waistline, but they also harm your mental health. In fact, British researchers surveyed 3,000 people and found a positive correlation between the amount of processed food consumed and the prevalence of depression in participants (9). Although it might be difficult to resist processed foods, your mental health will thank you in the long run if you reduce your consumption of them.
Comments