The Food-Mood Connection - Food for Thought - Harvard Commentaries

Have you ever felt depressed and treated yourself to some chocolate? When you are stressed out, do find yourself craving some comfort in pasta? Have you ever noticed that sometimes after eating a meal or a snack you feel alert, while at other times you are in desperate need of a nap?

Different components in food can affect how you feel after you have eaten them. When broken down in the body, these components can effect blood sugar levels and stimulate the release of neurotransmitters (brain chemicals) that send messages throughout your body. These include serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine and acetylcholine.

Examples: Glucose, fructose and galactose found in white sugar, fruit and milk respectively

End result: Blood sugar falls as rapidly as it rose. The energetic feeling quickly wears off. You're left feeling tired, hungry and irritated.

Quick result: Refined carbohydrates break down quickly into sugar. Your blood sugar spikes and you get a short burst of energy.

End result: Blood sugar falls as rapidly as it rose. The energetic feeling quickly wears off. You're left feeling tired, hungry and irritated.

Examples: Whole wheat breads, whole grain cereals, brown rice and vegetables

Quick result: Unrefined, unprocessed carbohydrates take longer to break down into sugar. Blood sugar rises slowly; there's less impact on blood sugar — when you eat a regular portion size.

Quick result: Stimulates dopamine and norepinephrine production. Proteins break down into 20 amino acids rather than sugars. One amino acid, tyrosine, stimulates the production of dopamine and norepinephrine.

Talking Turkey

Turkey has a reputation for making people tired. (Think big Thanksgiving meal.) But it has just about as much tryptophan as other types of poultry.

In fact, it's the combination of foods we eat that can cause us to feel this way. On Thanksgiving, for example, most of us usually have potatoes and stuffing (carbohydrates) with our turkey. As a result, tryptophan becomes more available for serotonin production. So it does indeed make us drowsy after a big protein-rich, carbohydrate-rich meal.

Eating carbohydrates stimulates production of the hormone insulin. It is released from the pancreas and helps move sugar out of the blood and into the cells. Insulin also takes amino acids out of the blood and into cells. One amino acid, however, remains in the blood: tryptophan. This makes it more concentrated than other amino acids.

Examples: Turkey on whole grain bread, peanut butter on whole grain crackers, and egg with whole grain cereal

Quick result: The higher concentration of tryptophan stimulates serotonin production.

End result: Serotonin can improve your mood by giving you a calm, relaxed feeling. Sometimes, it can even make you drowsy.

Choline is an essential nutrient that is often grouped with the B complex vitamins

Quick result: It is needed for the synthesis of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that is directly linked to memory and mental functioning.

End result: To improve memory and mental functioning, try increasing your intake of choline-rich foods.

Examples: Omega 3s are found in fatty, cold water fish such as salmon, sardines and mackerel.

End result: Omega 3s decrease inflammation in the body. Two potent forms of omega-3s, DHA and EPA, have been studied for their positive effect on mood. About half of the studies completed have linked consumption of omega 3s to better moods.

Examples: Anything that is liquid at room temperature; avoid high-sugar, high-calorie beverages. Caution: Alcohol is a depressant and can interfere with your sleep.

Quick result: Maintains body temperature, pH balance, metabolism and other body processes.

End result: Adequate hydration helps prevent fatigue and decreased performance.

Quick result: High-calorie meals increase blood flow to the stomach and gut, while decreasing blood flow to the brain. High-calorie meals are usually high in fat, as well, which delays digestion.

A recent study found that people who are depressed eat more chocolate than people who are not depressed. However, current evidence is mixed on whether chocolate does affect mood; it could temporarily improve mood, but the side effects of increased calories can lead to weight gain. Try a small piece of dark chocolate that is at least 70% cocoa.

Caffeine is classified as a mild stimulant. Three 8 ounce cups of coffee (about 250 milligrams of caffeine) per day is considered an average or moderate amount of caffeine.

Quick result: In addition to "waking up" the central nervous system, caffeine stimulates increased production of stomach acid, encourages the kidneys to produce urine (briefly), and speeds up heart rate.

End result: Limited amounts of caffeine — up to 250 milligrams a day — have been shown to improve alertness. It also gives a slight boost to athletic performance. But too much caffeine has been linked to depression and mood swings, and can interfere with sleep. (Ten 8 ounce cups of coffee per day is considered excessive.)

Eating the right foods is not the only factor that can affect your mood. It is important to get adequate sleep and daily exercise.

Eat small meals and snacks every 2 to 3 hours to avoid dramatic rises and falls in blood sugar.
Limit the simple carbohydrates in your diet, which can cause you to feel irritable, tired and hungry.
Eat complex carbohydrates, which contain fiber and can help control blood sugar levels from rising and falling rapidly.
Include some protein with meals and snacks to slow absorption of sugars into the bloodstream. This will help prevent the rapid rise and fall of blood sugar, and stabilizing mood and appetite.
For a calming effect, eat carbohydrate-rich foods (especially the complex carbohydrates).
For a boost of alertness and energy, focus on the protein-rich foods.
For memory and cognitive functioning, eat more choline-rich foods.
Stay well hydrated.
Get adequate sleep every night.
Stay active and try some stress-reduction activities.

Once you understand how food affects your mood, you can begin to make changes to your diet to shape how you feel. Remember that the best part is that your diet can be modified at any time — so take control of your mood today!