NOVEMBER 17, 2014 BY AGENCY REPORT
Foods that make you happy
Clams: They are packed with vitamin B12. Low levels of that vitamin can lead to depression, as the brain needs B12 to make dopamine and serotonin.
Depressed people who had low levels of B12 (and were taking antidepressants) felt much better three months after adding a B12 supplement. If you can’t have clams every day, you can get the vitamin from other seafood, including trout and salmon, as well as beef, chicken, dairy products, and fortified cereals.
Walnuts & flax: Nuts and seeds, especially these two, are loaded with alpha-linolenic acid. In research from the Nurses’ Health Study, women who had the most ALA in their diets were less likely to be depressed. Here’s how it works: When your blood levels of ALA are low, so are you; low ALA levels fan the flames of inflammation, which has been linked to depression. What’s more, low ALA also decreases levels of the brain chemicals dopamine, which is responsible for feelings of joy, and serotonin, which inhibits anger and aggression.
Coffee: According to Nurses’ Health Study research, women who drank two to three cups of caffeinated coffee a day were about 15 per cent less likely to become depressed; those who drank four or more cups were at 20 per cent lower risk.
Yogurt & kefir: Cultured dairy products like these enhance your populations of probiotic bacteria — the healthy kind living in your gut. How it works: Your gut and your brain have regular chats via the vagus nerve, so good bacteria may be spreading a chill-out message. Be sure to buy yogurt labelled with “contains live and active cultures.”
Chocolate: It’s loaded with chemicals, such as polyphenols, that might boost your mood. In a 2013 study, Australian researchers reported that volunteers who chugged the biggest dose of a dark-chocolate drink laced with zero, 250, or 500 mg of polyphenols, also got a shot of calm and contentment.
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