Certain foods release amino acids that regulate neurotransmitters, or chemicals in the brain. Neurotransmitters affect your moods, triggering excitement, motivation, energy, relaxation and other responses. Dietary changes may improve symptoms of depression and anxiety that result from everyday stress or unexpected events, which cause normal reactions and mood changes. Prolonged depression or anxiety requires treatment from a mental health professional. A healthy diet can aid you during treatment, but only under a doctor's supervision.
Protein Boost
Protein foods send amino acids into the bloodstream after digestion. The amino acids then travel to the brain and affect your moods. High-protein foods include meat, poultry, fish and dairy products. The amino acid tyrosine increases production of the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine. These brain chemicals energize you, providing you with mental alertness and enhancing your physical abilities. In some cases, this may lift feelings of sadness or even fatigue for people in depressive moods.
Serotonin
The amino acid tryptophan helps produce serotonin in the brain. Serotonin may provide calming effects and improve sleep. Amino acids from proteins often overpower tryptophan in the bloodstream, interfering with the production of serotonin. However, eating more carbohydrates reinforces tryptophan. Carbohydrates release insulin into the blood. Insulin clears away the other amino acids, which absorb into the body, but leaves tryptophan alone to travel to the brain. Once in the brain, it converts to serotonin to provide you with a sense of calm.
Foods for Calm
Carbohydrate foods may help you reduce symptoms of anxiety by allowing tryptophan to produce serotonin and calming effects, according to the Mayo Clinic. Carbohydrates include whole grains, such as bread, cereal, pasta, oatmeal and brown rice, as well as fruits, vegetables and beans. Some protein foods contain tryptophan. They include poultry, milk, cheese, peanut butter, nuts, soy and sesame seeds. The combination of protein and tryptophan in these foods may provide a balance between energy and relaxation to avoid fatigue, which may occur if you eat too many carbohydrates.
Desired Effects
Whether you eat more carbohydrates or protein may depend on your moods. Eating them separately may provide you with the effects you desire, according to Middle Tennessee State University. Carbohydrates help calm you down to deal with anxiety. Eating more protein foods may lift depressive moods that cause sadness and fatigue. Mental health professionals use medication that can raise levels of serotonin, norepinephrine or dopamine to improve moods of patients. Patients respond differently to medication and adjustments are often made to achieve the desired effect. Although foods can provide mood changes for mild and short-term depression and anxiety, seek help from your doctor if mental issues interfere with your daily activities. A health care provider can offer you advice on therapy and dietary recommendations.
