7 Surprising Foods That Fight Depression And Anxiety by drtalks

7 Surprising Foods that Fight Depression and Anxiety

As a Nutritional Psychiatrist, I’ve spent over a decade in search of the best foods to support mental fitness and help people fight depression and anxiety. This research has changed how I eat and what I feed my family… and as I started sharing this knowledge with others, some foods really surprised people. In Nutritional Psychiatry, we focus on food categories to help eaters focus on the broad choices of, say, leafy greens, not just kale. That said, there are certain foods that check all the boxes of brain nutrient density, availability, and utility in the kitchen. I dubbed these foods the Power Players in my book EAT TO BEAT DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY. Here are a few of the most surprising mood boosting foods.

Kefir

Probiotics and the microbiome are buzzwords of the wellness world for good reason. The community of microorganisms living in the human digestive system, referred to as the gut microbiome, is intimately linked to mental health through a connection known as the “gut-brain axis.”

Research has shown that inflammation in the digestive system is correlated with increased symptoms of depression and anxiety.1 Luckily, certain fermented foods that are high in probiotics have been shown to reduce this inflammation and help restore the composition of the gut microbiome. 2

Top of this list is kefir, a type of fermented yogurt, which contains ample amounts of probiotic bacteria. If you are looking to optimize mental health through your diet, integrating probiotic power foods like Kefir is a great place to start.

Cinnamon + Turmeric

Spice up your life and support your mental health at the same time with these two flavorful seasonings!

Cinnamon is a staple in most spice cabinets and provides several surprising mental health benefits. This powerful spice is high in antioxidants which can protect the brain by helping to reduce inflammation. 3 Amazingly, one study showed that just smelling cinnamon alone can enhance cognitive performance on memory and processing tasks!4

Turmeric, a yellow spice commonly added to curries, has been shown in research to combat symptoms of major depression. 5 But how? It turns out that the key ingredient in turmeric is curcumin, which has powerful anti-inflammatory properties.

Researchers in Australia were so impressed by the anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects of both these spices that they included them in a research protocol which used food to fight depression in college freshmen as part of a Mediterranean style diet.6

Red Peppers

This versatile veggie is a newer addition to our superfood list. Bell peppers are low in calories and loaded with neuroprotective nutrients, making them a great addition to our brain healthy diet. In fact, one medium sized pepper provides 169 percent of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C!

Vitamin C is one of the 12 important antidepressant nutrients used in the study I published with Laura LaChance, MD in 2018.7

Peppers are also high in lycopene, a fat protecting phytonutrient that is linked to lower brain inflammation and lower levels of dementia.8

All colorful peppers, green, yellow, orange, chilis etc. are packed with nutrients for brain health but the lycopene in red peppers make them of particular interest. Think of this nutrient powerhouse next time you want to add some color to your salad or stir-fry.

Clams

A member of the bivalve class, clams are a delicious seafood jam packed with important nutrients for mental health. Specifically, clams are high in B12, a vitamin that is critical to our biochemical machinery. B12 plays a crucial role in the reactions that create key neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine, both of which regulate mood. B12 also contributes to the insulation of our neuronal axons, the long communication “arms” of brain cells that communicate with other brain cells.

Low levels of B12 and B12 deficiency are known causes of depression, anxiety, and dementia. In fact, your B12 level is directly correlated to the speed at which your brain shrinks!9

Whether they are grilled or steamed, these power players are a fantastic way to boost your B12 and promote mental health.

Dark Chocolate

Yes chocoholics, it’s true! Chocolate, and specifically 70%+ dark chocolate, not only tickles our taste buds, it also makes us feel good and may even protect us from depression!

Promoting dark chocolate consumption for mood and brain health isn’t a sales gimmick, it’s the power of cacao, the type of bean that all chocolate is made from. The cacao bean is both filled with antidepressant nutrients like iron, magnesium, and fiber along with a class of phytonutrients called flavanols that have been shown to increase mental agility10. It also contains theobromines, which boost mood and focus, much like coffee and green tea. Research has shown that these compounds in cacao improve brain oxygenation and daily dark chocolate consumption is correlated with a 67 percent decreased risk of depression!11

Fish Roe

This one may sound a bit fishy, but for sushi fans, this isn’t a surprise. Fish eggs also known as “roe,” are a top food to fight depression and anxiety. Just like chicken eggs, all the nutrients needed to build a brain cell are found in fish eggs. One tablespoon alone has only 20 calories but delivers a whopping 341mg of omega-3 fatty acids. This qualifies fish roe for our power player list since reduced dietary supply of fatty acids, such as the high levels of DHA and EPA found in fish eggs, is correlated with many mental health conditions including increased risk of depression and anxiety.12

Roe can come from a variety of different fish, so if caviar doesn’t suit your fancy (or your budget) then there are lots of other options to reap the benefits of this brain superfood. Other types of more affordable fish eggs include salmon and carp, shellfish such as lobster or sturgeon (imitation caviar). Next time you’re picking which sushi rolls to order, choose an option with fish eggs to add some flavour and some of our favorite nutrients to your meal.

Seaweed

Seaweed? Yes, and let me explain why… For years, the average American’s iodine levels have been decreasing. This is problematic because iodine is central to the proper functioning of the thyroid, a small organ in the front of your neck known as the metabolic “master switch.” Your thyroid regulates your energy level, weight, mood, and even sleep! Individuals low in iodine may experience insomnia, fatigue, depression, and difficulty concentrating and focusing.

Surprisingly, seaweed has one of the highest concentrations of iodine, meaning this slimy snack can help keep your thyroid working in peak condition. A recent study out of Japan even found that depressive symptoms were significantly lower in the participants who had high Seaweed intake13 . If you’re feeling down, try adding algae to your diet to elevate your iodine levels and boost your mood!

Eat to Beat Depression and Anxiety

I hope you enjoyed learning about these 7 surprising superfoods for mental health! They may not be dietary staples, but if you’re looking to optimize your mental fitness, I encourage you to give them a shot! Try picking up some of the foods on this list on your next grocery trip to ensure your brain is getting the nutrients it needs. If you want to learn more about dietary changes to improve mental health, then be sure to check out my new book EAT TO BEAT DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY or follow me @drewramseymd on Instagram for more information.

Instagram.com/DrewRamseyMD

REFS

1. Clapp, Megan et al. “Gut microbiota’s effect on mental health: The gut-brain axis.” Clinics and practice vol. 7,4 987. 15 Sep. 2017, doi:10.4081/cp.2017.987

2. Hemarajata, P., & Versalovic, J. (2013). Effects of probiotics on gut microbiota: mechanisms of intestinal immunomodulation and neuromodulation. Therapeutic advances in gastroenterology, 6(1), 39–51. https://doi.org/10.1177/1756283X12459294

3. Rao, P. V., & Gan, S. H. (2014). Cinnamon: a multifaceted medicinal plant. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM, 2014, 642942. https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/642942

4. Zoladz, P.R., & Raudenbush, B. (2005). Cognitive Enhancement through Stimulation of the Chemical Senses. North American Journal of Psychology, 7, 127.

5. Lopresti, A. L., Maes, M., Maker, G. L., Hood, S. D., & Drummond, P. D. (2014). Curcumin for the treatment of major depression: a randomised, double-blind, placebo controlled study. Journal of affective disorders, 167, 368–375. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2014.06.001

6. Francis, H. M., Stevenson, R. J., Chambers, J. R., Gupta, D., Newey, B., & Lim, C. K. (2019). A brief diet intervention can reduce symptoms of depression in young adults - A randomised controlled trial. PloS one, 14(10), e0222768. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0222768

7. LaChance, L. R., & Ramsey, D. (2018). Antidepressant foods: An evidence-based nutrient profiling system for depression. World journal of psychiatry, 8(3), 97–104. https://doi.org/10.5498/wjp.v8.i3.97

8. Min, J. Y., & Min, K. B. (2014). Serum lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin, and the risk of Alzheimer’s disease mortality in older adults. Dementia and geriatric cognitive disorders, 37(3-4), 246–256. https://doi.org/10.1159/000356486

9. Tangney, C. C., Aggarwal, N. T., Li, H., Wilson, R. S., Decarli, C., Evans, D. A., & Morris, M. C. (2011). Vitamin B12, cognition, and brain MRI measures: a cross-sectional examination. Neurology, 77(13), 1276–1282. https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0b013e3182315a33

10. Gratton, G., Weaver, S. R., Burley, C. V., Low, K. A., Maclin, E. L., Johns, P. W., Pham, Q. S., Lucas, S., Fabiani, M., & Rendeiro, C. (2020). Dietary flavanols improve cerebral cortical oxygenation and cognition in healthy adults. Scientific reports, 10(1), 19409. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-02076160-9

11. Jackson, S. E., Smith, L., Firth, J., Grabovac, I., Soysal, P., Koyanagi, A., Hu, L., Stubbs, B., Demurtas, J., Veronese, N., Zhu, X., & Yang, L. (2019). Is there a relationship between chocolate consumption and symptoms of depression? A cross-sectional survey of 13,626 US adults. Depression and anxiety, 36(10), 987–995. https://doi.org/10.1002/da.22950

12. Larrieu, T., & Layé, S. (2018). Food for Mood: Relevance of Nutritional Omega-3 Fatty Acids for Depression and Anxiety. Frontiers in physiology, 9, 1047. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2018.01047

13. Guo, F., Huang, C., Cui, Y. et al. Dietary seaweed intake and depressive symptoms in Japanese adults: a prospective cohort study. Nutr J 18, 58 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12937-019-0486-7