When you're depressed, some recommendations or treatments might seem overwhelming. Certain foods might facilitate your recovery, explains Northwestern Health Sciences University; some foods might lift your mood and a few may increase your energy, though there isn't enough evidence to fully support their effect.
Omega-3: Fish, Nuts and Seeds
When you're depressed, you have a low level of serotonin, a crucial chemical in your brain. To increase your serotonin, Northwestern Health Sciences University suggests eating foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which can enhance your brain chemistry. According to the Alternative Medical Review journal, omega-3 may improve and stabilize your mood on its own, but more research is needed. Nuts, seeds, especially walnuts and flaxseeds, and coldwater fish contain high amounts of omega-3.
Complex Carbs: Granola, Fruits and Whole Grains
Your body uses complex carbohydrates to build serotonin, Northwestern Health Sciences University explains. Further, depressed people commonly experience exhaustion and weariness; eating complex carbohydrates can increase and sustain your energy throughout the day.
To give your body enough complex carbs, eat granola, starchy vegetables such as potatoes, and whole-grain breads, cereals and rice in accordance with your doctor's medical treatment plan for your depression.
Vitamin B12: Meat and Animal Products
Vitamin B12 aids the part of your metabolism that facilitates neurological function. In 2005, the Journal of Psychopharmacology found that depressed people usually have low levels of B12. Consuming sufficient amounts of the vitamin, the journal concludes, may help relieve depression and enhance other treatments, though more research is needed in this area.
Meats provide B12, including beef, pork, chicken, and especially seafood. Beef liver, clams and fish contain particularly high amounts. Animal products---eggs, milk and yogurt---also supply vitamin B12. Consult with your doctor as to whether this is an appropriate treatment before undertaking a B12 regimen.
Folic Acid: Vegetables, Liver and Beans
A depressed person's blood has high levels of homocysteine, according to a 2004 study in Human Psychopharmacology. In excess, the study explains, this amino acid hinders the depressed patient from recovering; it also endangers the heart, notes the American Heart Association. Folic acid helps minimize homocysteine, so eating enough folic acid may have an antidepressant effect, Human Psychopharmacology determined. Additionally, if you take antidepressants, folic acid may help them work more effectively, but consult with your doctor on the role folic acid may play in your treatment.
To get enough folic acid, eat raw vegetables, ideally dark or colorful ones. Beef and chicken liver also provide folic acid, as do beans and legumes.
Probiotics: Fermentation and Milk Products
Bacteria in your gastrointestinal tract can affect how your body absorbs nutrients, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. For some people, nutritional deficiencies correlate with depression, notes the journal Medical Hypotheses. Probiotics remove unhealthy bacteria, correct any imbalances and help your body absorb nutrients. Therefore, the journal concludes, eating foods that contain these healthy microorganisms might help treat depression. More studies are needed in this area, however.
Foods that contain live cultures can supply probiotic bacteria. Milk and yogurt are sufficient sources; soy and miso also contain probiotics.
References
- Northwestern Health Sciences University: Treat Depression Naturally
- Alternative Medical Review: Neurobehavioral Aspects of Omega-3 Fatty Acids
- Journal of Psychopharmacology: Treatment of Depression
- Human Psychopharmacology: Folic acid... And Relationship to Depression
- Medical Hypotheses: Major Depressive Disorder: Probiotics
