by Chris Shugart
5 Simple Dietary Solutions
In a bad mood? Certain nutritional deficiencies can cause that, or at least make the situation seem worse. Let’s fix them.
Your feelings don’t matter. Well, okay, they do matter, but how you actually feel about a given situation goes much deeper than you think. Let’s look at Carl, a hypothetical man in a hypothetical situation:
Carl’s situation: His boss tells him he did a bad job on his last project.
Carl’s feelings: Carl is feeling anxious. What if he gets fired!? Or Carl might be feeling sad. The boss didn’t have to be so hurtful. Or maybe Carl is feeling angry. The boss needs a good kick in the ass!
But what if Carl was… happy? Hey, the boss was just stressed; he’ll see the value in Carl’s work later. And if the project has to be redone, don’t worry. It’ll be a fun challenge!
There’s literally a lot going on in Carl’s brain. Seven different brain regions regulate mood, from the prefrontal cortex to the raphe nuclei in the brainstem.
Ideally, Carl’s feelings and subsequent moods would be positive. That’s just healthier. Interestingly, nutrition plays a role. Good nutrition increases your chances of a better mood. Nutritional deficiencies do the opposite.
Five things for a happier, less bad mood
Much of the science behind the effects of nutrition on mood involves actual mood disorders. But you don’t have to have a diagnosable condition to feel the change in mood when you take care of the basics:
1. Omega-3 fatty acids
Omega-3s (DHA and EPA) play a huge role in brain health and mental performance. Deficiencies have been linked to increased risk of depression and other mood disorders, such as anxiety. Omega-3s also appear to modulate the body’s response to stress, and stress is a mood killer.
Omega-3s are involved in the synthesis and function of neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine – all mood regulators. So think of omega-3s as natural “mood stabilizers.”
Omega-3s, particularly from fish oil, also have an anti-inflammatory effect on the brain. Chronic inflammation has been linked to mood disorders such as depression. Your brain essentially runs on omega-3s, and your body can’t make omega-3s on its own. They help maintain the fluidity of cell membranes and facilitate communication between brain cells. Without omega-3s, neurotransmitter production and function are impaired, and inflammation occurs. You can become depressed, moody, and anxious.
A 2018 meta-study found that fish oil reduced anxiety and related issues. Most studies suggest you need at least 2,000 mg of fish oil daily, with the majority coming from DHA, which has the greatest impact on neurotransmission.
Flameout DHA-rich fish oil from Biotest (Buy from Amazon) contains 4200 mg of fish oil per 3 capsule serving, mainly from DHA.
2. Vitamin D
Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to an increased risk of depression and other mood disorders. Vitamin D receptors are found in the hypothalamus and hippocampus, both of which are involved in mood regulation. Vitamin D influences the synthesis and release of serotonin, which helps determine how you feel, from general feelings of well-being to feeling hot and horny.
Vitamin D also influences the production and function of several hormones, including those involved in mood, such as cortisol. Some studies show a modest testosterone boost in people who were previously deficient in D3. Low testosterone is strongly linked to depression and even general moodiness.
Most people have low levels of vitamin D in their blood… unless you’re a lifeguard in Puerto Rico who doesn’t wear sunscreen and eats a lot of fish liver. If that’s not the case for you, make sure you’re getting enough by taking the microencapsulated form of vitamin D. D Fix High Absorption Vitamin D (Buy from Amazon) contains 5000 IU of this more bioavailable form. I take this type of D3 daily in the winter and every other day in the summer when I get more sunlight.
3. Magnesium
If you take 100 people with mild to moderate depression and give 50 of them magnesium and 50 of them a placebo, half of the people who get magnesium have significantly fewer depressive symptoms after just one month. That should tell us something about magnesium and mood.
Magnesium plays a role in the regulation of neurotransmitters, including serotonin. Low magnesium levels disrupt neurotransmitter function, contributing to symptoms of depression. Magnesium deficiency also leads to increased inflammation and oxidative stress – both linked to the development of depression. Magnesium is also involved in the regulation of cortisol.
And there’s more: Magnesium regulates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which controls your body’s response to stress. Chronic stress contributes to the development of mood disorders, and magnesium helps regulate the stress response.
Finally, magnesium helps regulate calcium levels. Imbalances in calcium-magnesium ratios have been linked to mood disorders. In principle, magnesium deficiency can lead to increased calcium influx into neurons, which may contribute to excitotoxicity and neuronal dysfunction associated with mood disorders.
Like vitamin D, most studies show that half or more of Americans are deficient in magnesium, probably because most of us aren’t big fans of eating kale, Swiss chard, or collard greens every day. So take the chelated form of magnesium daily for optimal absorption. Elitepro Vital Minerals (Buy from Amazon) contains 400 mg of this highly bioavailable form along with zinc, another mineral involved in neurotransmitter function.
4. B vitamins
Low levels of B6 (pyridoxine), B9 (folic acid), and B12 (cobalamin) have been linked to depression and anxiety. These B vitamins are involved in the synthesis and metabolism of common mood regulators: serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. B vitamins also help control homocysteine levels. Elevated homocysteine levels have been linked to depression.
Vitamin B is also involved in your response to stress. Chronic stress depletes B5 and B6, important for adrenal function and cortisol regulation.
Most of your B vitamin needs can be met through regular healthy foods: leafy greens, avocados, nuts, beans, potatoes, bananas, salmon, tuna, etc. Vegans should probably supplement with B12, which should be obtained from animal sources (or fortified vegan products). And yes, vegans have much higher rates of mood disorders compared to meat eaters.
5. Iron
Irritability, mood swings, sleep disturbances, roller coaster emotions, feelings of sadness, lack of energy, low libido… these are all symptoms of iron deficiency AND mild to moderate depression. You have to wonder how many people are prescribed heavy duty antidepressants when they actually just have an iron deficiency.
Iron deficiency is most common in women and vegans. Women lose iron each month during menstruation. Vegans don’t eat red meat. Female vegans? Well, now you know why they’re usually, um, difficult. Antacids also interfere with iron absorption, so men who take them aren’t off the hook.
Most women and all vegans should take iron supplements. It can get complicated, so here’s a full article with all the details.
References
- Tarleton EK et al. “Role of magnesium supplementation in the treatment of depression: a randomized clinical trial.” PLoS One. 2017 Jun 27;12(6):e0180067. PubMed.
- Kuan-Pin Su, MD, PhD, et al. “Association between omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid use and changes in anxiety symptom severity, a systematic review and meta-analysis.” JAMA Netw Open. 2018;1(5):e182327. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.2327
- Janice K. Kiecolt-Glaser, et al. “Omega-3 supplementation reduces inflammation and anxiety in medical students: a randomized controlled trial.” Brain Behav Immun. 2011 Nov;25(8):1725–1734.
- Matteo M. Pusceddu, et al. “N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) reverse the impact of early life stress on the gut microbiota.” Plos One, October 1, 201.