Boosting Your Mood with Nutritious Foods
Photo: Ava Motive
What we can’t see can benefit us
The foods we eat not only fuel our bodies physically, but also mentally. In fact, our gut and our brain are actually interconnected. You may have heard of microbes in your digestive system. The beneficial or “good” microbes help us digest food, improve our immune system, produce nutrients, affect our mood and more. Having enough good microbes can also help protect us from bad microbes that potentially cause illnesses. The microbiome consists of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites which sound negative, but they actually all coexist with us to create a healthy gut.
The microbes in our gut, or microbiome are affected by the foods we eat, our environment and our mood. The microbiome is a key player in neurodevelopment and behavior. One study found that stress during pregnancy can not only change the mother’s own gut microbiome, but also that of their baby, which can affect the baby's overall mood as well.
What foods build a healthy microbiome?
Everyone has a different microbiome based on factors such as genetics, medication, diet and environment. However, probiotics (the actual microbes) and prebiotics (the food for the microbes) are essential in keeping anyone’s microbiome healthy. A few foods with probiotics include yogurt, raw sauerkraut, traditionally fermented pickles (not the ones that are shelf-stable), and tempeh. Prebiotics are foods high in specific types of fiber that help feed the microbiome. These foods include garlic, onions, leeks, asparagus, artichokes and bananas.
Photo: Karolina Grabowska
How Food Impacts Mood
Aside from the effect food has on the microbiome, certain nutrients have been linked to mood as well. Experts in the relationships between mind, body and nutrition, have found several nutrients linked with decreased symptoms of anxiety and depression. These include folate, thiamine, DHA, zinc and vitamin C. All of these nutrients are also necessary during pregnancy for a baby’s development and for the mother’s changing body.
Here are some of the top foods containing these essential nutrients:
While this is not an exhaustive list of foods you need during pregnancy, or what you need to boost your mood, it may be a great place to start! Improving mood via diet may sound crazy at first, but the connections between the gut and the brain are actually pretty significant. Try adding some of these foods into your everyday diet for a mood boost both during pregnancy and beyond!
References:
Braarud H, Markhus M, Skotheim S, et al. Maternal DHA Status during Pregnancy Has a Positive Impact on Infant Problem Solving: A Norwegian Prospective Observation Study. Nutrients. 2018;10(5):529. doi:10.3390/nu10050529
Carlson SE, Colombo J, Gajewski BJ, et al. DHA supplementation and pregnancy outcomes. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2013;97(4):808-815. doi:10.3945/ajcn.112.050021
Carney EW, Kimmel CA. Interpretation of skeletal variations for human risk assessment: delayed ossification and wavy ribs. Birth Defects Research Part B: Developmental and Reproductive Toxicology. 2007;80(6):473-496. doi:10.1002/bdrb.20133
Gur TL, Shay L, Palkar AV, et al. Prenatal stress affects placental cytokines and neurotrophins, commensal microbes, and anxiety-like behavior in adult female offspring. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. 2017;64:50-58. doi:10.1016/j.bbi.2016.12.021
Klemmensen ÅK, Tabor A, Østerdal ML, et al. Intake of vitamin C and E in pregnancy and risk of pre-eclampsia: prospective study among 57 346 women. BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology. 2009;116(7):964-974. doi:10.1111/j.1471-0528.2009.02150.x
LaChance LR, Ramsey D. Antidepressant foods: An evidence-based nutrient profiling system for depression. World Journal of Psychiatry. 2018;8(3):97-104. doi:10.5498/wjp.v8.i3.97
Nita LM, Battlehner CN, Ferreira MA, et al. The presence of a vocal ligament in fetuses: a histochemical and ultrastructural study. Journal of Anatomy. 2009;215(6):692-697. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7580.2009.01146.x
Ramsey D, Muskin PR. Vitamin deficiencies and mental health: How are they linked? Current Psychiatry. 2013;12(1):37-43.
Wu G, Bazer FW, Cudd TA, Meininger CJ, Spencer TE. Maternal Nutrition and Fetal Development. The Journal of Nutrition. 2004;134(9):2169-2172. doi:10.1093/jn/134.9.2169