Depression & Diet: What Is The Link & How To Use It To Ones Advantage

Depression is one of the most common mood disorders. Depression can cause one to feel constantly sad, worthless, and tired and might stop one from enjoying activities they once enjoyed. Various factors can result in depression. Similarly, many factors can also improve one’s depression symptoms.

What we eat among other factors such as our lifestyle and workout routine has been linked to influencing our moods. What we eat can help us manage our depression symptoms. In this article, we discuss how our food and mood are linked. We also discuss foods that can help elevate our mood and improve depression symptoms.

What is the link between depression & diet?

Depression is a response to hormonal imbalance. Food significantly affects the hormone levels in our bodies. A lack of happy hormone-boosting foods can affect our mood. In fact, this hormonal balance may reduce and remove the sensation of hunger. This may further worsen our depression symptoms due to lack of appetite.

On the other hand, hormonal imbalance may even result in a lack of feeling of satiety. The feeling of satiation helps us feel full and satisfied when we consume food. Lack of this sensation can also lead to overeating and other eating disorders that might later worsen depression.

Hence, it is ideal to understand the importance of a healthy meal and its effect on our mental health. Through professional guidance and proper research, you can compile a list of foods that can help or worsen your depression.

How to use our diet to our advantage?

As discussed above, certain foods can help elevate our mood. These foods have components that boost the production of happy hormones in our bodies. Hence, adding these foods to our diet may be helpful in improving depression symptoms.

Here are foods you can add to your diet if you want to boost the production of happy hormones:

1. Green leafy

Brain inflammation has been associated with severe depression. It has been proven that green leafy vegetables can lower inflammation. These green leafy vegetables include lettuce, cabbage, cauliflower, spinach, etc.

2. Avocados

Good fat is essential for the proper functioning of our brain, making avocados a great addition to our meals. Avocados and other foods rich in healthy fats boost brain function.

3. Nuts

Nuts are a great source of various nutrients including omega-3 fatty acids. The key advantage of omega-3s is enhancing brain function. However, several studies have revealed that eating foods high in omega-3s can also help you control your depressive symptoms.

4. Fish

Fish are a great source of vitamin D. Multiple studies show Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to an increased risk of developing depressive symptoms. Vitamin D is a nutrient that may be absorbed through the sun as well as diet. You can also procure it through milk, eggs, etc.

5. Berries

Some of the most common antioxidant-rich foods that we can eat are blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and raspberries. According to research, patients were given antioxidants or placebos for two years. Those who received antioxidant treatment had a considerably lower depression assessment after two years.

In conclusion, our diet plays an integral role in influencing our mental health. We can improve our mood and even disorders such as depression with the help of a good diet. However, it is important to understand that diet cannot singlehandedly be helpful.

You must follow proper therapy and medication, as prescribed by the doctor. Along with this, try to inculcate a workout routine and avoid consuming substances that may be worsening your health such as alcohol, tobacco, etc.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.