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Information about food and mood
Essential amino acids cannot be produced by the body and must be ingested in our diet in order to keep us healthy.
There is evidence that essential amino acid tryptophan helps raise the levels of serotonin and melatonin in the brain and so aid sleep and possibly improve mood.
Research has found* that when deprived of tryptophan, there was a mood-lowering effect in people who
- had a history of depression, or
- had a diagnosis of seasonal affective disorder.
There is also some evidence that reduced tryptophan levels can lower the mood of people with a diagnosis of bulimia nervosa or autism.
* A. Van der Does, The effects of tryptophan depletion on mood and psychiatric symptoms, Journal of Affective Disorders, Volume 64 , Issue 2 - 3, Pages 107 - 119
Regular tea and coffee drinkers may be confusing the mental boost apparently provided by their favourite cuppa with the affects of avoiding the unpleasant caffeine withdrawal symptoms. Caffeine dependency can be acquired with as little as two or three cups drunk daily.
Contrary to popular belief, tinned tuna is not a good source of omega-3 essential fatty acids as the canning process reduces the tuna's fat content.
Vitamin B6, vitamin C, folic acid (folate) and zinc are all essential good mood nutrients. They are needed to make the feel-good brain chemical serotonin from the tryptophan protein fragment that is found in foods such as meat, fish, beans and lentils.
Caffeine increases mental alertness and concentration and can improve performance. However, too much caffeine (and this will be a different amount for each person) has been found associated with: anxiety, cravings, depression, emotional instability, insomnia, mood swings, nervousness and premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
You can avoid the highs and lows of mood and energy associated with fluctuating blood sugar levels by choosing foods that are digested slowly. These foods have a low glycaemic index (GI) and include wholegrain rye bread, oats and basmati rice. High GI foods, which are best avoided if you have problems with fluctuating energy levels, include french baguettes and instant white rice.
The romantic associations we have with chocolate may be due to the effects on the brain of a naturally occurring substance called phenylethylamine (PEA). PEA can enhance endorphin levels, increase libido and act a natural antidepressant. Sugar can also increase levels of the body's natural endorphins and chocolate bars often contain appreciable amounts of sugar. These mood-altering effects of chocolate may be why it is easy to become 'hooked on' chocolate.
The food and mood plate
- What you eat is important for physical and mental health.
- Use the Food and mood plate as a guide to getting a better balance between these commonly-used food groups. Eat more from the bigger sections and less from the smaller sections.
- Food sensitivities are not a problem - alternatives are given.
- Use the Mind meal as a practical example of good mood food eating.
- Learn how to use the plate.
Fruit and vegetables
- The minimum recommended amount of fruit and vegetables is for five portions every day. A portion is about a handful. More accurately, an adult portion is 80g. Starchy vegetables like potatoes and yam don't count towards the 5-a-day.
- Fresh is best but some frozen, tinned, dried or juiced is fine.
- Aim to eat a rainbow of different coloured fruit and veg each day, to obtain a range of nutrients.
Carbohydrate or starchy foods (e.g. bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, yam)
- Choose wholefood versions e.g. wholemeal bread, wholegrain cereals, brown rice.
- The Glycaemic Index (GI) or Glycaemic Load (GL) can be a useful guide to choosing slow energy-releasing options such as oats and basmati rice.
Alternatives to wheat:
- Wheat-free breakfast cereals include corn flakes, puffed rice , porridge oats.
- Wheat-free breads include rye bread, pumpernickel, corn bread, rice bread.
- Wheat-free crackers include oatcakes, rice cakes, rye crackers.
- Wheat-free grains include rice, millet, quinoa, buckwheat, polenta (made from corn/maize).
- Wheat-free pastas include rice pasta, buckwheat pasta, corn spaghetti.
Protein foods (e.g. lean meat, soya, fish, eggs, legumes (beans, peas, lentils), nuts and seeds)
- Aim to eat two portions of oily fish per week or take an omega-3 oil supplement daily. Choose from fresh, frozen or canned - but remember that canned and smoked fish can be high in salt.
Milk and dairy foods
- If you are reducing or avoiding all animal milks and related foods, make sure you include plenty of calcium- and magnesium-rich foods in your diet instead. These include tinned fish with edible bones, leafy green vegetables, nuts such as brazil nuts, almonds, hazelnuts and peanuts and whole grains, particularly millet and oats. You could also take a nutritional supplement that contains these minerals. Note: If you would like to change your child's diet you should consult a medical practitioner, nutritional therapist or dietitian first.
Alternatives to cow's milk, cheese, yogurt and butter:
- Goat's milk, cheese and yogurt.
- Sheep milk, cheese (e.g. feta cheese) and yogurt.
- Calcium-enriched soya milk. Tofu and tempeh (made from soya) can be used as an alternative to cheese, although the taste is quite different.
- Soya yogurt.
- Calcium-enriched rice milk.
- Butter made from goat's or sheep milk.
- Vegetable margarine or spread or olive oil.
Foods and drinks high in potential 'stressors' (e.g. some additives, saturated fat, added sugar, caffeine, chocolate and alcohol)
- Have less of foods and drinks containing artificial colourings, flavourings and preservatives.
- Have less of foods containing trans or hydrogenated fats.
Using the plate
The Food and mood plate largely follows the UK government's healthy eating advice provided via the Food Standards Agency's Eatwell plate (relaunched in September 2007).
The main difference is the food and mood plate presents healthy eating as important for mental as well as physical health. Other differences are:
- the focus on alternatives to wheat and cow's milk foods, to assist those people who find it beneficial to reduce these in their diet
- the suggestion to use the Glycaemic Index (GI) or Glycaemic Load (GL) as an additional tool for choosing slow energy-releasing starchy foods
- the recommendation to eat oily fish twice each week*
- the addition of some additives, caffeine, chocolate and alcohol to the smallest segment, and the use of the term 'potential stressors' to describe this segment, based on the Food and mood self-help survey findings
*As recommended in the Associate Parliamentary Food and Health Forum report 'The Links Between Diet and Behaviour', published in January 2008.
For more information on the macronutrient (protein, fat, carbohydrate) and micronutrient (vitamins and minerals) content of the food groups and why they are important for mental health, for detailed advice on managing food sensitivity and avoiding additives, and the Glycaemic Index, read the Food and mood handbook by Amanda Geary.
Please note that individual needs vary and if in doubt you should consult a medical practitioner before making significant changes to your diet, or if considering cutting out food groups altogether. The Food and mood plate does not apply to children under two years.