Foods and food ingredients can affect our moods in myriad ways, both in the short-term soon after consumption and in the long term as part of our overall holistic physiology. What we ingest can have a positive impact on certain conditions, such as depression or anxiety, or, when simply quite pleasurable – think: chocolate or ice cream – give a quick burst of dopamine.
A scientific review of foods with purported antidepressant nutrients published in TheWorld Journal of Psychiatry, scored those with the highest determined values for treating depression. A comprehensive range of foods were examined for 12 known nutrients already well-accepted as able to relate to the prevention and treatment of depressive disorders. The nutrients were: folate, iron, long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA), magnesium, potassium, selenium, thiamine, vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin C, and zinc.