Avocado imparts a creamy texture and a savory flavor. Many people think of it as a vegetable, but it is a fruit -- and one that can help treat and prevent depression. Thanks to its many nutrients, eating avocado may play a role in your depression treatment, but always consult your health care provider as you may need pharmaceutical or psychological intervention for your condition as well.
Tryptophan
Avocados provide a source of tryptophan, containing 0.03 g per cup of sliced fruit. This amino acid must be derived from the foods you eat since your body does not produce it. Research published in the August 2004 issue of the "Archives of General Psychiatry" indicates that study subjects with relapsed depression demonstrated worsened symptoms when their brains contained less tryptophan. This compound becomes serotonin, the brain chemical that promotes relaxation.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Eat a serving of avocado, and you take in omega-3 fatty acids. While research is inconclusive, the omega-3 fatty acids in this fruit may lessen depression. A study available in the May 2011 edition of "Clinical Nutrition" correlates the consumption of omega-3 with reduced cell death associated with brain inflammation. Researchers note that this cell death may trigger depression.
Protein
The protein in avocado contributes toward fighting depression. One cup of sliced avocado provides 2.9 g of protein. While you need much more than this in a day to meet your nutritional requirements -- 50 to 175 if you follow a 2,000 calorie diet -- all protein helps when it comes to your mood. A January 2011 press release from the American Dietetic Association notes that eating protein for a snack or incorporated into meals triggers the release of dopamine. Evidence featured in the 2007 issue of "Primary Psychiatry" notes that many antidepressants boost dopamine -- the "feel-good" brain chemical -- in the body as it improves mood.
Vitamin B-6
A deficiency of vitamin B-6 is associated with depression, but eating avocado can help you get the B-6 you need. One cup of this fruit contains 0.4 mg of vitamin B-6; adults between the ages of 19 and 51 should consume 1.3 mg of this vitamin each day. You need slightly more as you get older -- 1.5 mg for older women and 1.7 mg for older men. You can boost vitamin B-6 intake further by serving avocado slices with chicken, another food high in B-6.
Folate
A 1-cup serving of avocado contains 118 mcg of folate. While many people associate the consumption of folate with preventing birth defects, you also need it for brain function. According to a study in the 2007 "Journal of Clinical Psychiatry," not getting enough folate in your diet from avocado and other foods can put you at greater risk of developing depression.
References
- USDA National Nutrient Database: Avocados, Raw, All Commercial Varieties
- "Archives of General Psychiatry"; Neural and Behavioral Responses to Tryptophan Depletion in Unmedicated Patients With Remitted Major Depressive Disorder and Controls; A. Neumeister, M.D., et al.; August 2004
- EurekAlert; Depression Traced to Overactive Brain Circuit; August 2004
- Harvest of the Month; Exploring California Avocados; 2007
- "Clinical Nutrition"; What You Eat is What You Are -- A Role for Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Neuroinflammation Induced Depression?; M.C. Pascoe, et al.; May 2011
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Omega-3 Fatty Acids; June 2009
