Eat and Be Happy – Choose ‘feel good food’

3 July 2006

Natural substances found in some foods work as well as prescription antidepressants in preventing depression and making you feel good, according to new research.*

Omega-3 fatty acids (found in some fish) and uridine (found in sugar beets and beet molasses) were just as effective as three different prescription antidepressants in preventing signs of depression.

In other words, eat these foods and you'll be happier.

The Top Five Good Mood Foods:

• Salmon


• Herring or Tuna


• Walnuts or Flax seed


• Sugar beets


• Beet molasses

Food to Beat Depression

The study at the Harvard-affiliated McLean Hospital forced rats to swim in a tank of water. They soon realized that swimming was futile, so they just gave up and floated, a sign that they were surrendering to depression.

When the rats were given an injection of an antidepressant drug or combined doses of omega-3 fatty acids and uridine, they started swimming again. Interestingly, the latter was just as effective as three different prescription antidepressants - Norpramin, Prozac, and Celexa.

The Feel Good Foods That Work Fastest

The uridine injections acted right away, but the omega-3 fatty acids took 30 days to kick in. That's about as long as it takes for people to get depression relief from many antidepressant drugs like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), say the researchers. SSRIs include Paxil, Prozac and Zoloft.

Combining lower doses of uridine and omega-3 fatty acids was even more helpful. "Less of each agent is required for effectiveness when the treatments are administered together," say the researchers.

Other Good Energy Foods

Depression drugs and good mood foods probably work in the same way, say researchers - by providing the brain with more energy.

Other ‘feel good foods’ include:

• Dark-green leafy vegetables for folic acid.


• Shellfish, pumpkin seeds and oysters for their high zinc content - zinc deficiency is the most common cause of exhaustion and depression;


• Liver (except for pregnant women) and other red meats for iron and vitamin B12 to prevent anaemia.


• Oats, porridge, muesli, brown rice and wholewheat cereals such as Shredded Wheat and Weetbix for other B vitamins - which are often known as the nerve protectors.


• Eat dishes that offer a balanced mixture of complex carbohydrates, such as pasta, for quick-release energy, and protein from cheese, eggs, poultry and meat, which provide an energy store that will see you through the day.


• Cheese: Contains calcium, one of the main promoters of happiness, and a small piece of your favourite cheese each day is a great mood boost.


• Beans: High in fibre, iron and carbohydrates, yet with little or no fat. Zinc in beans can increase energy and lift a low mood.

Don't Go It Alone

If you suspect that you are depressed, seek professional help. Diet may be one piece of the puzzle, but depression is too serious to handle on your own. An abundance of help is available, from diet and exercise to medication and counseling. All you have to do is ask.

Sources: Carlezon, W. Biological Psychiatry, Feb. 15, 2005; Vol 57: pp 343-350.

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