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Consuming foods that genuinely improve your mood isn’t always straightforward. It becomes even more challenging when dealing with financial stress or adjusting your food budget after recent price increases. Whether your goal is to adopt a healthier diet or simply incorporate meals that boost your mood, you’ve come to the right place. Discover the best foods for mental health and overall well-being.
Specific foods can elevate your mood, energize your body, and provide the vitality needed to tackle daily tasks. While proper nutrition isn’t a complete solution for mental health, research has demonstrated a correlation between diet and psychological wellness. Certain foods are associated with increased levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter often referred to as the “happy hormone,” which plays a vital role in regulating mood. Deficient levels may lead to emotional instability.
Beyond serotonin, focusing on nutrient-dense foods is a positive step towards enhancing your overall happiness. Below are essential edibles to incorporate into your diet when seeking to improve your state of mind.
Foods That Can Elevate Your Happiness
1. Dark Chocolate
The classic movie scene of someone indulging in a tub of chocolate ice cream while wearing sweats might have some truth to it. A comprehensive review indicated that dark chocolate can beneficially influence one’s mood. Three key ingredients in chocolate contribute to feelings of happiness: tryptophan, theobromine, and phenylethylalanine. Tryptophan, an amino acid, is utilized by the brain to synthesize serotonin. Theobromine acts as a mild stimulant with mood-enhancing properties. Phenylethylalanine, another amino acid, aids the body in producing dopamine, which functions as an antidepressant.
2. Bananas
If there were a category for “feel-good foods,” bananas would likely top the list, but perhaps not for the reasons you might assume. Although bananas contain serotonin, this hormone cannot cross the blood-brain barrier (which acts as a protective filter controlling substance entry to the brain). Instead, bananas indirectly support mood regulation. They are rich in vitamin B6, a vital component for serotonin production. A medium-sized banana provides approximately 0.4 mg of vitamin B6, fulfilling about 25% of the recommended daily intake.
3. Coconut
If you are battling a case of the winter doldrums, coconut might whisk your senses and spirits away to a more tropical landscape. Coconut is packed with medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), known for their energy-boosting capabilities. Moreover, a study on animals in 2017 indicated that MCTs derived from coconut milk might alleviate anxiety. Additional research is needed to solidify the connection between coconut consumption and anxiety reduction in humans.
4. Coffee
Attention, coffee aficionados! You can now validate your coffee habit (moderately, of course), as coffee contributes to a happier world, one cup at a time. A 2016 meta-analysis determined that coffee intake is significantly correlated with a reduced risk of depression. Another compact study revealed that both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee markedly enhanced participants’ moods compared to a placebo beverage.
5. Avocado
While some may joke that avocado toast is the reason millennials can’t afford to buy houses, one certainty remains – avocados contribute to our happiness. This smooth, creamy fruit overflows with nutrients, including choline, an essential element used by the body to regulate the nervous system and mood. A 2020 study observed that the healthy fats present in avocados correlate with lowered anxiety levels in women. Avocados’ high vitamin B content is related to lower stress as well.
6. Berries
Did you know increased consumption of fruit is often associated with better emotional health? One meta-analysis conducted in 2016 reported that consuming fruits and vegetables was closely linked to improvements in mood. Berries, in particular, contain a multitude of antioxidants – also called flavonoids – that could minimize depression symptoms. Yet another study featuring subjects who were given blueberry juice yielded promising findings, linking blueberry consumption to reduced cognitive decline related to aging.
7. Fermented Foods
Fermented foods, such as sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, kombucha, and yogurt, promote a healthy gut microbe profile, which, in turn helps enhance your mood. The fermentation process leads to probiotics, which benefits the presence of beneficial bacteria in your digestive system. How does your gut influence emotions? To a significant degree – roughly 90% of a body’s serotonin is made in the gut’s cells. By eating fermented foods, you encourage serotonin production.
8. Mushrooms
Mushrooms are a valuable source of vitamin D, linked to enhanced emotional states via its antidepressant qualities. Vegans and vegetarians are particularly fortunate, since mushrooms are the only non-animal-based edibles that contain an amount of vitamin D where the body can easily absorb it.. To maximize the Vitamin D acquired from mushrooms, place them into direct sunlight for several hours before cooking.
TL;DR: Boosting Your Happiness
When you are feeling down, your first impulse could be to pick up a pack of cookies. Though these are tempting, they are unlikely to help your mental health in the long term. Instead, choose foods rich in nutrients such as the previously mentioned ones to help improve mood with proper nutrition.