(Carrick Pharmacy News) Diet plays a huge role in health, and that can include your mental health.
It’s true — some foods may actually boost your mood and, in turn, improve your mental and emotional health.
In this post, we take a look at some of the foods that may improve your mood.
1. Nuts
Many types of nuts are high in magnesium, and magnesium may reduce anxiety and improve sleep. Other good sources of magnesium include spinach, whole grains and legumes.
2. Turkey
You’ve heard that turkey makes you sleepy, but did you ever hear that it could make you happy? Thanks to tryptophan — the same amino acid in turkey linked to sleepiness — eating turkey could actually improve your mood.
That’s because tryptophan is an essential precursor to serotonin, which is a neurotransmitter linked to mood.
3. Salmon
Inflammation has been linked to depression, and the omega-3 fatty acids in salmon and other fatty fish may reduce inflammation. In that way, omega-3s are thought to improve mood.
Other sources of omega-3s include walnuts, chia seeds and flax seeds.
4. Coffee
If you need coffee‘s caffeine kick to get going in the mornings, this one may seem obvious. But caffeine isn’t the only reason coffee may improve your mood.
The other way coffee, tea and wine — in moderation, of course — may improve your mood is through plant polyphenols. There are huge amounts of these inflammation-reducing substances in coffee, tea and wine, and reduced inflammation may mean an improved mood.
5. Blueberries
Blueberries, as well as other berries like blackberries and strawberries, contain powerful antioxidants like anthocyanins. The inflammation-reducing power of these substances is thought to help ward off depression and other mood killers.
If you are experiencing depression, anxiety or extreme stress, reach out to your health care provider for help.
