Good Mood Food - What shouldn't I be Eating?
Article written by Kellie Johnson.
Our last article discussed the importance of eating a healthy diet when it comes to mood (read our article titled 'Good Mood Food - Does what we eat really matter?'). This article will take a look at the foods and substances that can have a negative effect on our mood.
Foods that wreak havoc...
While there are many foods which are essential for brain health, there are also those that are damaging which can have a negative effect on mood. ‘Free radicals’ are nasty little critters found in certain foods, which wreak havoc throughout your body and your brain by damaging cells and DNA. Saturated fats (found in butter, full cream milk, animal fat and palm oil) and trans fats (found in hydrogenated vegetable oils, take-away and processed foods) are the worst offenders for this. Other foods that can have a negative effect on your mood include refined carbohydrates such as white bread, bagels and crackers, sugar and sugar rich foods such as soda, candy, cake and fruit juice, deep fried and processed foods, tobacco, alcohol and caffeine.2
Not only do saturated and trans fats increase the amount of ‘free radicals’ in our body but they also affect the structure of our brain. Once you remove the water component of our brain, the remainder is actually made up of 60% fat, so it makes sense that the types of fats we are eating can directly affect the way we feel. Most of you have probably heard about ‘good fats’ versus ‘bad fats,’ but did you know that some of the essential healthy fats such as omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids actually make up 20% of our brain?2 This is one great reason to start eating healthy fats today! Oily fish is one of the best sources of omega 3 and so it is not surprising that countless studies have found links between low fish intakes and depression.1 So have you had your salmon?
Foods with a trick up their sleeve…
There are certain foods and substances that can trick you into feeling better for a short period of time, while actually causing more damage in the long term. You have probably already guessed what they are! This group includes nicotine, caffeine, and chocolate. These products cause your brain to release the neurotransmitters that cause you to feel good, but over time you need to consume more and more of them to have the same effect.2 Over time this can be costly as well as detrimental to your health.
So we've had a look at foods and substances we should avoid or limit but what are the foods that can have a positive effect on our mood? The next article in this series will look at what food we should include to be in a good mood!
References
- Decision News Media SAS - NutraIngredients, 2004. Seafood to balance mental health [Online]. Available at www.nutraingredients.com/Research/Seafood-to-balance-mental-health [Accessed 28th July 2009].
- Mental Health Foundation, 2009. Feeding minds – The impact of food on mental health [Online]. Available at: http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/campaigns/food-and-mental-health/feeding-minds-text/ [Accessed 18th July 2009].
Last updated 27 August 2009
