7 antidepressant foods to boost mood

7 antidepressant foods to boost mood

If there’s one clear thing, we’re what we eat. Food gives us the essential nutrients so that we can live healthily, both inside and outside. Not only is it an issue that affects our physical health, but brain and mental processes are also closely linked to our diet.

In this article, we will discover 7 antidepressant foods to increase the mood you can include in your lifestyles and thus enjoy a healthy, balanced and benefit-filled diet.

Tryptophan and magnesium, the essential nutrients to increase the mood

There are some antidepressant foods that are perfect for improving our mood and, the vast majority of them, are the ones that provide us with two key nutrients: magnesium and tryptophan.

– Tryptophan. It is an amino acid that contributes to the release of serotonin, a hormone known as the Happiness hormone.

– Magnesium. This mineral is also ideal to combat depression because, like tryptophan, it also stimulates the production of serotonin, as well as regulates our energy and helps us sleep better.

For this reason, foods that are rich in these elements will be perfect to avoid depressive states and achieve a better mood.

List of antidepressant foods rich in magnesium

As we have already said, magnesium is ideal for combating depression. Therefore, including foods rich in this mineral is essential to feel improvement in our state of soul. Some of these antidepressant foods are:

– Dry fruits: especially in hazelnuts, cashews and walnuts.

– Green leafy vegetables: chard and spinach.

– Fruits: apricots, papaya, dates and avocado.

– Cereals: wheat bran or rice.

– Soyx

Foods rich in tryptophan to fight depression

We continue to know the best antidepressant foods to talk, now, about those that are rich in tryptophan, an amino acid essential for our state of soul, as it stimulates the production of serotonin.

Some of the foods that provide us with the most tryptophan are:

– Animal protein: chicken and turkey are two of the richest foods in this amino acid. These white meats, unlike red meats, are low in fat, so they are also recommended to bet on a healthier life.

Dairy products. Milk derivatives are also very rich in tryptophan, therefore, includes in your diet milk, cheese, yoghurts, butters, etc., in a controlled way because milk is very high in fat.

Legumes. There are some legumes that are perfect to improve our mood thanks to their rich tryptophan input. For example, lentils, soy and chickpeas are the most recommended.

Chocolate as an antidepressant food

We ended this article talking about chocolate, another of the best known and popular antidepressant foods. But not all chocolates are worth: it must be the one who is black, as it has less fat and is purer.

Chocolate activates the production of serotonin, the hormone most linked to better mood. For this reason, cocoa is considered a natural antidepressant that you should incorporate in a controlled way into your diet.


Bibliography

Carper, J. (2012). Miracle food medicine. Editorial AMAT.
Dehin, R., Aubry, J., & Godon, J. (Eds.). (1996). The energy power of food. Robinbook Editions.

2025-01-29