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5 good-mood
foods
"Feel-good" fat. A low-fat diet may make you grumpy. British
researchers assessed the moods of 20 people, ages 20-37, before and
after eating either a daily total of 41 percent or 25 percent of calories
from fat. After a month, the lower-fat eaters were rated as more hostile
and depressed. Those on the higher-fat diet exhibited better moods
and less tension and anxiety. One explanation: Fat stimulates hormones
that influence activity of the brain chemical serotonin, important
in governing mood. Low serotonin is linked with increased aggression
and depression. One solution: Many experts say it's OK to get your
quota of feel-good fat if it's mainly monounsaturated fat (olive oil)
and fish fat and not artery-destroying saturated animal fat.
Chocolate. One of the most powerful mood elevators is chocolate,
says psychologist David Benton of Britain's University of Wales.
In studies, he played music that put students into a depressed mood.
Then he offered them either milk chocolate or carob, an imitation
chocolate. Chocolate improved their moods; carob didn't. Also, chocolate
cravings rose as moods sank. Benton says chocolate contains not
just serotonin-boosting sugar and mind-soothing fat, but also other
chemicals that favorably affect brain messengers controlling mood.
Fish. If you don't eat fish, your chances of becoming depressed
rise. Around the world, depression rates drop as fish consumption
rises, say Joseph R. Hibbeln and colleagues at the National Institutes
of Health. The Japanese, who eat the most fish, are the least depressed.
Reason: The omega-3 fat in fish manipulates brain chemicals in ways
that boost mood. In a groundbreaking new study, Harvard researcher
Andrew Stoll found doses of omega-3 fatty acids improved symptoms
of manic depression in 64 percent of 14 patients after four months,
vs. 18 percent on a placebo. Stoll theorizes that omega-3 fat affects
signaling among brain cells in much the same way as lithium and
valproate, drugs for treating manic depression.
Foods high in vitamin D. If dim winter sunlight gives you
seasonal affective disorder (SAD), getting more vitamin D may boost
your mood. Australian researchers gave 44 healthy adults either
400 IU or 800 IU vitamin D or a "sugar pill" for five days in late
winter. Subjects were unaware of which they were getting. It turned
out those getting the vitamin D reported feeling better. One possible
explanation: Vitamin D, called "the hormone of sunlight," boosts
levels of serotonin - a feel-good chemical - in the brain.
Vitamin D can be toxic, so don't overdo it. The Food and Nutrition
Board of the Institute of Medicine recommends 200 IU vitamin D daily
for ages 19-50, 400 IU for ages 51-70, 600 IU after 70. Food sources:
salmon, fortified milk, fortified cereal.
B vitamin foods. B vitamins have profound effects on the
brain. Much research shows correcting a deficiency of the B vitamin
folic acid can relieve depression. Further, in a recent British
study of 129 healthy young people, those taking a high daily dose
(10 times the recommended daily dose) of nine vitamins for a year
reported feeling "more agreeable." Especially effective: thiamine
(B1), riboflavin (B2) and B6. In thiamine-deficient women, mood
improved after three months. Researchers found 20 percent of those
in the study had marginal thiamine levels. But thiamine boosted
mood even in women not lacking thiamine. Foods high in B vitamins:
dried beans, whole grains, fish, dairy products, poultry, eggs,
bananas, avocados.
Go to top
A mood-boosting dessert
Milk, bananas, chocolate and almonds all have nutrients that help
regulate brain cells.
CHOCOLATE PUDDING WITH BANANAS
3 Tbs. unsweetened cocoa
3 Tbs. cornstarch
3 Tbs. sugar
2 cups 1 percent milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 medium bananas, sliced
1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds
In a heavy saucepan or double boiler, combine cocoa, cornstarch
and sugar. Add milk and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Simmer,
still stirring, till pudding thickens, about 5 minutes. Add vanilla.
Let pudding cool. Stir in bananas. Serve in dessert dishes, topped
with almonds. Makes 4 servings.
Per serving: 225 calories, 7g protein, 6.5g fat (1.6g saturated),
38g carbohydrates, 2.5g fiber, 64mg sodium.
SCIENTIFIC SOURCES FOR THIS COLUMN (1/3/99
Fat
Wells, AS,et al. Br J Nutr 1998 Jan:79(1): 23-30
Chocolate
Willner, P. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 1998 Apr; 136 (3):272-83.
Fish
-- Hibbeln J. Lancet 1998 Apr. 18; 351 (9110:1213).
-- Stoll,A, abstract, NIH conference, Sept. 2-3, 1998, Bethesda,
Md.
Vitamin D
-- Lansdowne, AT: Psychopharmacology (Berl) 1998 Feb; 135(4):319-23)
-- Utiger, Robert D. New Eng J Med, March 19, 1998;338(12): 828-29
B Vitamins
-- Benton,D. et al. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 1997 Jan; 129 (1):
66-71
-- Benton, D. Neuropsychobiology 1995; 32(2): 98-105
Photo Credit: KAREN SCHULD for USA WEEKEND
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