4 minute read
March-April, 2023
MOOD BOOSTING FOODS
PLANT-BASED NUTRIENTS TO IMPROVE MENTAL WELLNESS
By Lorne Opler
An abundance of research has proven that exercise has a positive impact on our mental health and shows substantial benefit for reducing anxiety and depression. Yet in the discussion of natural interventions to boost mood, one topic is most often overlooked. Food. Yes, food. Because there is evidence-based data to show that the foods we eat also beneficially impact our mental health. Which foods are the best for boosting mood is the focus of this article. And research shows that plant-based foods provide a substantial amount of nutrients to improve mental wellness. One of those nutrients, for example, is a class of compounds called phyto (meaning “plant”) chemicals.
How the brain operates is through a densely packed networked of cells called neurotransmitters. These cells transmit signals that allow us to think and interpret the world around us. If neurotransmitters get thrown out of balance, for example due to depressive illness, plantbased foods can assist in repairing neurotransmitters. How so?
Beyond neurotransmitters, the brain also contains many enzymes which are protein structures that accelerate the many chemical reactions that occur in the brain. One enzyme found in the brain is called monoamine oxidase (MAO). Many people who live with depressive illness have higher than normal levels of MAO because MAO dismantles several
brain neurotransmitters that elevate mood – serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. A deficiency in these neurotransmitters has been posited as a cause of depressive illness. But one phytochemical in particular has been shown to reduce levels of MAO, and consequently boost levels of the anti-depressive neurotransmitter’s serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. That phytochemical is called quercetin. Quercetin is found in many fruits and vegetables including kale, broccoli, blueberries, onions (especially red and yellow varieties), green tea.
Let us look at serotonin. While it is a proven neurotransmitter responsible for elevated mood, you cannot get it from diet. There are no foods themselves that contain serotonin. However, there are foods that contain a precursor (or building block) for serotonin and that precursor is called tryptophan. When you consume foods high in this amino acid, the tryptophan will be converted into serotonin in the brain (after crossing over the blood/ brain barrier) and then utilized for its anti-depressive effects. Foods high in tryptophan are both animal and plant based. Animal sources of tryptophan include chicken, turkey, tuna fish, cottage cheese, and milk (especially whole milk and 2% milk). Plant based sources include peanuts, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, hummus, tofu, and soy products.
But eating tryptophan high foods alone is not an efficient way for tryptophan to cross the blood/brain barrier for conversion to serotonin. Especially if your meal contains other proteins which, when broken down into their own amino acid constituents, will compete with tryptophan to reach the brain. But when you combine foods high in tryptophan along with a whole grain, the carbs will trigger the release of insulin, insulin will transport the competing amino acids into muscle tissue, and tryptophan can pass unrestrictedly into the brain. So next time you are eating any protein, combine it with a carb (think turkey on whole wheat or hummus on whole grain crackers) to maximize the transport of tryptophan into the brain.
Lorne Opler, M.Ed., CSCS, is an Adjunct Professor at Seneca College in Toronto, Ontario where he teaches Introductory Nutrition. He has specific interests in the areas of exercise and mental health, nutrition and mental health, fitness for older adults and people with disabilities. His freelance fitness articles appear in Muscle and Fitness magazine, ACE Fitness, and the Washington Post. Visit his website at www.trainerlorne.com
