The mood of young people seems to depend mainly on having enough meat in the diet. People over 30, on the other hand, should rely on fruit for the right mood and limit stimulants such as coffee and fast sugars.
Diet and Mood
No, this article is not about your mood when you’re nibbling on a rice cake like a hungry zombie. It’s not about the quantity of food, but rather the type of food.
Researchers at Binghamton University in New York wanted to gain more insight into the effect of nutrients in your diet on your mood [1]. For this, they conducted an anonymous ‘nutrition-diet’ internet survey. Among other things, they asked about the consumption of food and drinks known to have an effect on the brain (which is quite broad). Based on the results, they concluded that young and older adults react differently to food in terms of mood.
The data showed that the mood of young adults was mainly dependent on food that increases the availability and concentrations of neurotransmitters in the brain. According to the researchers, both red and white meat lead to an increase in two chemicals, serotonin and dopamine. This is not very unlikely considering that amino acids in food are needed to produce these neurotransmitters [21]. Serotonin and dopamine are known for their positive influence on mood. Exercise also has an elevating effect on these two ‘mood enhancers’. The survey revealed that mental complaints in young adults mainly occurred in people who ate meat less than three times a week and exercised less than three times a week. Active vegetarians sometimes wonder, or are asked, whether their increased activity requires no meat. In terms of mood, as a young vegetarian, you actually need extra exercise to compensate for the lack of meat.
In people over 30, mood was found to depend mainly on the availability of antioxidants (such as those in fruit). Additionally, avoiding neurostimulants such as coffee and rapidly absorbable sugars was found to promote mood. As people age, the formation of free radicals (oxidants) increases. With that, the need for antioxidants also increases. Free radicals cause disruptions in the brain that increase the risk of mental complaints. Additionally, the ability to regulate stress decreases. Food that activates the stress response, such as coffee and fast sugars, therefore leads to faster negative changes in mood. The carbohydrates you’re still allowed to consume are preferably from fruit and pasta rather than, for example, bread that has a higher glycemic index.
Increasing Serotonin
Research has long been conducted on ways to increase serotonin levels without medication, especially for the prevention and treatment of depression. Light therapy is an example of this, as there seems to be a correlation between the amount of light you’re exposed to and serotonin levels. This is evidenced, among other things, by the fact that serotonin levels in the brains of people who died in the summer are higher than in the winter [2]. But even during the day, serotonin levels can increase as it gets lighter and decrease at night [3,4,5]. Tryptophan is an amino acid that acts as a building block for serotonin. Completely removing all tryptophan from the diet did not have the negative effect on mood as when done under very dim light conditions [6].
As also established in the New York study, exercise is a positive factor when it comes to serotonin and mood [7-14]. One of the reasons why exercise can increase serotonin has to do with why a meal high in proteins can have a limiting effect on serotonin.
As mentioned, tryptophan acts as a building block for serotonin. You would think that protein containing amino acids, including tryptophan, would have a positive effect on serotonin levels. However, this is not the case. Other amino acids in the protein also compete with tryptophan to pass the blood-brain barrier. Amino acids such as the BCAAs leucine, isoleucine, and valine prevent tryptophan in the diet from reaching the brain [15,16,17]. These amino acids end up in larger quantities in the blood, limiting the increase of tryptophan in the plasma. Exercise causes these BCAAs to be absorbed from the blood, reducing their concentration in the plasma while that of tryptophan increases [15,16]. You might see this as an additional reason not to spend your money on separate BCAAs. In my humble opinion, the added value of this is less or even non-existent compared to complete protein. You need that protein anyway for muscle maintenance and growth, so you can’t avoid it in your diet. Also, in terms of mood, it’s better to achieve your goals through both a good diet and sufficient exercise. Tryptophan itself can lead to an increase in serotonin, but only if tryptophan itself is taken as a supplement, not as part of protein-containing food [18].
Increasing Dopamine
The amino acid tyrosine found in protein is used as a building block for dopamine. Another amino acid, phenylalanine, can be converted into tyrosine. Tyrosine levels therefore rise when proteins are consumed, but despite this, it appears to have no effect on dopamine levels [19]. Direct administration of tyrosine does seem to have a positive effect on dopamine, although this seems to be short-lived [19]. A 2015 study found that a diet high in tyrosine reduces the risk of depression [20].
Just Eat Healthy and Exercise Enough for a Healthy State of Mind
I’ve now pointed out two players to show that it’s still quite complex. In practice, however, there are more relevant factors that make it even more complicated.
Consider fats, for example. The brain contains proportionately the most fats and therefore depends on fats in the diet to function properly. Omega-3 fatty acids, among others, are thought to play an important role here. For example, a 1999 study found that DHA reduces the risk of depression [22]. Other studies have shown this effect for omega-3 fatty acids in general [23]. However, the ratio of the different omega-3 fatty acids also plays an important role in this regard.
Some vitamins and minerals also play an important role in determining mood. For example, vitamin B6 and B12 [24-27]. But also minerals like chromium, iodine, and iron [24, 28,29].
So, we simply need a healthy and balanced diet, also in terms of mental health. Adequate proteins for the necessary amino acids, enough fats for the brain, sufficient vitamins and minerals, and not too many fast sugars. By creating a one-sided ‘mood diet’, you only run the risk of missing certain substances.
So, healthy eating and enough exercise. If you need more reasons for that.
References
- Lina Begdache, Maher Chaar, Nasim Sabounchi, Hamed Kianmehr. Assessment of dietary factors, dietary practices and exercise on mental distress in young adults versus matured adults: A cross-sectional study. Nutritional Neuroscience, 2017; 1 DOI: 10.1080/1028415X.2017.1411875
- Seasonal and circadian monoamine variations in human brains examined post mortem. Carlsson A, Svennerholm L, Winblad B Acta Psychiatr Scand Suppl. 1980; 280():75-85.
- Lambert GW, Reid C, Kaye DM, et al. Effects of sunlight and season on serotonin turnover in the brain. Lancet 2002;360:1840-2. [PubMed]
- Ferraro JS, Steger RW. Diurnal variations in brain serotonin are driven by the photic cycle and are not circadian in nature. Brain Res 1990;512:121-4. [PubMed]
- Cagampang FRA, Yamazaki S, Otori Y, et al. Serotonin in the raphe nuclei: regulation by light and an endogenous pacemaker. Neuroreport 1993;5:49-52.
