Paras Hemrajani
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Signs of depression also include decreased sex drive and even impotence. © Shutterstock
According to the World Health Organisation, there are more than 300 million people with depression globally. This highlights the urgent need for a proper treatment and prevention plan for this condition. Food can play an important role in this. Many foods have an impact on your mental health. According to a recent study, published in the journal of Psychosomatic Medicine, diet can play an important role in handling depression.
Researchers, during the course of the study, allocated three different diets to three different groups of people for a couple of weeks. One group was given a vegan diet. The other two groups were given a fruit diet and a vegetable diet respectively. After following the diet for a couple of weeks, the results were revealed. All three diets reduced signs of depression like hopelessness and insomnia. It also helped people to connect better with others. But this study revealed that women showed more improvement than men.
According to a study published in PLoS ONE, diet can boost a person's feelings of happiness. Food that contains high amounts of soluble fibre helps in slowing down your sugar absorption rate, which leads to an increase in the levels of serotonin, the happy hormone. But researchers say that the effects are temporary. But, for a person suffering from clinical depression, even a short time of happiness is very precious.
Sugar-rich foods will give you a quick energy boost. As when the effects wear off, it will make you feel low. So, you must eat food that contains less sugar. If you cannot maintain your happiness, you may be prone to anxiety and depression. Here are some nutrients that can help you deal with your depression.
Other than serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine are other mood affecting hormones that are found in the bloodstream. If you eat more protein you will automatically eat less carbohydrates. This will stimulate the production of the mentioned hormones. You may add eggs, tofu, milk, oats, broccoli and yogurt to your daily diet. If you consume these items for breakfast, you will be able to maintain the hormonal level throughout the day.
According to Harvard Health Publishing, folate found in vitamin A, B and D can help in breaking down the amino acid homocysteine. This amino acid is associated with Alzheimer's disease and depression. Presence of homocysteine in the blood streams gives your anti-depressant drugs a boost and helps prevent depression. Sunlight is the best source of Vitamin D. You can also add low-fat milk, egg yolks and soy milk to your diet. These vitamins are also found in lentils, oranges, broccoli, salmon and oatmeal.
As mentioned earlier, you should eat food containing fibre to increase your serotonin levels. Foods that are rich in fibre are oats, pears, beans, brussels' sprouts and peas. Add them as additional ingredients to your daily diet. Before you eat anything, it is best to consult your doctor to avoid allergy or any other kind of reaction to prescribed medication for depression.