By Chris Schugart
5 Simple Nutrition Solutions
Are you in a bad mood? Certain nutritional deficiencies can cause it, or at least make it seem worse. Let’s fix them.
Your feelings don’t matter. Sure, they do, but exactly how you feel about a given situation goes much deeper than you might 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 swift kick to the coconut!
What if Carl… feels happy? Hey, the boss was just stressed; he’ll see the value of Carl’s work later. And if the project needs 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, from the prefrontal cortex to the raphe nuclei in the brainstem, regulate mood.
Ideally, Carl’s feelings and related moods would be skewed toward the bright side. That’s just healthier. Interestingly, nutrition plays a role. Good nutrition increases your chances of being in a better mood. Nutritional deficiencies do the opposite.
Five Things for Happier, Less Bad Moods
Much of the science behind how diet affects mood involves actual mood disorders, but you don’t have to have a diagnosable condition to feel a mood swing when you get the basics down:
1. Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3s (DHA and EPA) play a big role in brain health and mental performance. Deficiencies have been linked to an increased risk of other mood disorders, such as depression and anxiety. Omega-3s also regulate the body’s response to stress, and stress is a mood killer.
Omega-3s play a role in the synthesis and function of neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine—all mood stabilizers. So think of omega-3s as natural “mood stabilizers.”
Omega-3s, especially those from fish oil, also have anti-inflammatory effects in the brain. Chronic inflammation has been linked to mood disorders like depression. Your brain runs on omega-3s, and your body can’t produce them on its own. They help maintain cell membrane fluidity and facilitate communication between brain cells. Without omega-3s, the production and function of neurotransmitters is inhibited, and inflammation sets in. You can become depressed, moody, and anxious.
A 2018 meta-study found that fish oil reduces anxiety and related problems. According to most studies, you need at least 2,000 mg of fish oil daily, and most of that comes from DHA, which has the greatest impact on neurotransmission.
Biotest’s Flameout DHA-rich fish oil (Buy from Amazon) A 3-capsule serving contains 4200 mg of fish oil, mostly from DHA.
2. Vitamin D
Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to an increased risk of depression and other mood problems. Vitamin D receptors are found in the hypothalamus and hippocampus, both of which play a role in mood regulation. Vitamin D affects the synthesis and release of serotonin, which helps control how you feel, from a general sense of well-being to feeling hot and horny.
Vitamin D also affects the production and actions of various hormones, including those related to mood, such as cortisol. Some studies show a modest increase in testosterone in those 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 Puerto Rican lifeguard who doesn’t wear sunscreen and eats lots of fish liver. If you’re not, then make sure you’re getting enough vitamin D by taking the microencapsulated form. D Fix High Absorption Vitamin D (Buy from Amazon) It contains 5000 IU of this more bioavailable form. I take this form 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, the half that got magnesium have significantly fewer depressive symptoms after just one month. That should tell us something about magnesium and mood.
Magnesium plays a role in neurotransmitter regulation, including serotonin. Low magnesium levels disrupt neurotransmitter function, contributing to symptoms of depression. Additionally, magnesium deficiency leads to increased inflammation and oxidative stress—both of which have been linked to the development of depression. Magnesium also plays a role in regulating 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 problems. Essentially, magnesium deficiency can lead to increased calcium influx into neurons, which can contribute to the excitotoxicity and neuronal dysfunction associated with mood disorders.
Like vitamin D, most studies show that more than half of Americans are deficient in magnesium, and most of us probably don’t enjoy eating kale, chard, or collard greens every day. So, take a chelated form of magnesium daily for optimal absorption. Elitepro Vital Minerals (Buy from Amazon) It contains 400 mg of this highly bioavailable form along with zinc, another mineral that plays a role in neurotransmitter function.
4. B Vitamins
Low levels of B6 (pyridoxine), B9 (folate), and B12 (cobalamin) are linked to depression and anxiety. These B vitamins play a role in the synthesis and metabolism of common mood stabilizers: serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. B vitamins also help keep homocysteine levels in check. High homocysteine levels are linked to depression.
B vitamins also play a role in your response to stress. Chronic stress depletes B5 and B6, which are important for adrenal function and cortisol regulation.
Most of your B vitamin needs can be met with normal healthy foods: leafy greens, avocados, nuts, beans, potatoes, bananas, salmon, tuna, etc. Vegans should probably take a B12 supplement, which must be obtained from animal sources (or fortified vegan products). And yes, vegans have much higher rates of mood disorders than meat eaters.
5. Iron
Irritability, mood swings, sleep disturbances, up-and-down emotions, feelings of sadness, lack of energy, low libido… these are all symptoms of low iron and mild to moderate depression. You have to wonder how many people are actually prescribed harsh antidepressants just because they are low in iron.
Iron deficiency is most common in women and vegans. Women lose iron monthly during their menstrual cycle. Vegans do not eat red meat. Female vegans? Well, now you know why they are usually, er, difficult. Antacids also block iron absorption, so men who use them are no exception.
Most women and all vegans need iron supplements. This can be complicated, so here is a full article with all the details.
References
- Tarleton EK et al. “The 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 of Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Intake with Changes in the Severity of Anxiety Symptoms, 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 Effect of Early Life Stress on Gut Microbiota.” Plos One, October 1, 201.