Foods that help fight depression

Foods that help fight depression

Depression is one of the major killers of our time and is one of the most costly diseases in the world.

In this article you will learn :

  • Depression – what is it and what are the main symptoms, which can be recognized.
  • Who is the cause of depression – major factors and a brief introduction to their essence.
  • How different neurotransmitters, hormones.
  • Who is at risk of depression and the relationship between low testosterone levels and depression, as well as contraception and depression.
  • Why our food is important for mood.
  • Which foods to be avoided by people with depressive tendencies.
  • What are food-friends of people who are prone to depression.

What is depression ?

Depression is a condition which is characterized by a number of different symptoms, including:

  • Decline in energy;
  • Loss of interest in things and activities that previously excited us;
  • Loss of appetite;
  • Difficulty in concentration;
  • Lack of desire for communication, isolation;
  • Lack of desire for life, including thoughts on the end, and many others. Much of depressed people experience a sense of anxiety and apathy. It is
  • necessary to distinguish clinical depression than usual depressed mood or sadness after the loss of a loved one, or post-traumatic stress.

 

Who is the cause of depression

Scientists do not seem to be able to isolate a single cause of simptommite of depression and anxiety. Usually symptoms occur after combination of factors, including:

  • Change in biology – the majority of those suffering from depression, there are changes in brain function. These changes have a very physical dimension and are visible under a scanner. It is still not clear what causes them, but it is clear that they are relevant for the onset of depression. The readings of the scanner may be useful for the identification of what might happen in a period of 10-20 years;
  • Biochemistry of the brain – the neurotransmitters are chemicals that transmit information and make us to function in a certain way. Given the function of neurotransmitters, it is often difficult to distinguish from hormones. Their main difference is that neurotransmitters are released by neurons located near the destination, and hormones are secreted by glands and are transported by blood to the organs whose job responsibility. Loss of balance in the ratio of these chemicals is a factor for depression;
  • Hormones – hormonal changes may be caused by a number of factors (such as thyroid dysfunction, menopause and many others) and may be part of the reason for the unlocking of depression;
  • Heredity – among those suffering from depression often find blood relatives with identical or similar sastonie;
  • Traumatic life events – often emotional trauma result in the unlocking of adverse psychological symptoms. Such events may be: loss of a loved one, financial turmoil, extreme stress for an extended period of time or trauma from childhood.

Who is at risk of depression ?

Statistical women suffering from depression are significantly longer than men.

One reason for this appears to be lower secretion of serotonin in women. This is the chemical that makes us feel happy and that women produce less than men. It seems that this is related to the menstrual cycle. The most commonly prescribed antidepressants class are those which have the ability to increase the levels of serotonin. Studies show that they are not at all effective before commencement of puberty and after menopause. There is interaction between serotonin-progesterone-estrogen.

Low testosterone levels are associated with depression and dementia.

More frequent depression occur in women using contraceptives. Birth control “steal” of serotonin by inhibiting its production in the brain. Depression greatly increases the risk of developing Alzheimer’s in women and in men.

Another factor for depression is obesity – when the weight increases, the physical volume and the function of the brain decreases, so-called. “Effect of the dinosaur.”

Usually regarded as separate health problems, but actually obesity, Alzheimer’s and depression are three manifestations of the same possible that the problem related to poor lifestyle.

What is the relationship between diet and depression

The majority of antidepressants used by doctors to their patients are associated with increased levels of serotonin. Although it is a neurotransmitter, and its task is to transmit nerve impulses from cell to cell, only 10% of serotonin is synthesized in the brain. The remaining 90% are produced by specific cells found in the gastrointestinal tract. It is not difficult to guess that our food has a strong on mood and overall our emotional state.

 

Foods that are not recommended for people with depressive tendencies

Before I tell you what foods can help you to cope with lower emotional states will list some that are far from friends of people with depressive tendencies:

  • Refined sugar – though sugar products make us feel good for about 20 minutes, they lead to abrupt changes in blood sugar levels as a result of which yield something like a sugar hangover that negatively impacts mood and interfere with sleep;
  • Artificial sweeteners – if you are prone to depression, artificial sweeteners are not your ally. They suppress the production of serotonin, causing declines in mood, headache, and insomnia;
  • Trans fats – they indirectly support the depression, as with his regular consumption clog arteries and impede blood flow of blood to the brain;
  • Alcohol is proven suppressor of operation of the central nervous system;
  • Depending on individual sensitivity caffeine, some people experience sleep disturbances, which in themselves are sufficient to lead to a drop in mood. They can also appear symptoms such as tremors, anxiety and irritability;
  • Genetically modified foods. If you’ve suspected GMO food causing damage to the body, this is probably the biggest of them. The main reason being developed varieties of artificial foods is that in this way they become resistant to pesticides and herbicides, which are processed. Of them all, to this material apply glyphosate herbicides. They are the ones that destroy bacteria and can not be washed or cleaned. It is easy to guess that glyphosate destroys some part of our intestinal flora, which is vital for the production of amino acids such as tryptophan, which is a precursor of serotonin;
  • Antibiotics – once mentioned the importance of intestinal bacteria, it is natural to stop and antibiotics. About 80% of the antibiotics that enter our bodies are not actually written by our doctor and sneak unnoticed rear of meat you consume and which is treated with them. Way to eliminate this threat is to investigate their source of meat and ensure that animals are not treated with such drugs.

What foods the people who have a tendancy to depression 

Once we knew what to shun, it is useful to know and what foods are good for us in terms of conditions that are of interest to this material.

And because a lot of people would have exclaimed: “Do you mean to tell me that these broccoli would cure me of my clinical depression?” No, of course I can not say such a thing. What should count, however, would greatly help the people who are prone to these conditions and accepted systematically and over a long period of time, they will rank the probabilities in your favor, so you do not have to visit your doctor to similar complaints.

Since it became a question of intestinal flora, will begin her. Secure your body enough of the “good” bacteria that work in your favor. This includes fermented foods, preferably homemade. Otherwise you risk a very high intake of salt and highly acidic food;
Get your food and high in micronutrients – one that is rich in minerals and vitamins. Particularly important for mood have some carotenoids, antioxidants (particularly quercetin), vitamin C, vitamins of the B group;
Capers – they are the richest plant on the planet of the flavonoid quercetin. You can easily recognize quercetin in plants in bright yellow colored;
Chocolate – not by chance women who naturally have lower levels of serotonin impinge much more likely than men to this temptation – chocolate proved raises the level of the happy chemical in our body. This will make the proviso that when I say “chocolate”, I really mean its unprocessed form – raw cocoa in the form of grains, powder or paste. Chocolate, which you can buy from any supermarket should be referred to the group of processed foods and refined sugar. In turn, the raw cocoa is both fermented food and food with high mineral content, and tryptophan;
Take Omega 3 fatty acids – they are one of the main factors for brain health and mood regulation;
Increase food sources of tryptophan, the precursor of serotonin – unprocessed cocoa, sesame, eggs (from hens untreated with medication), meat (from animals not treated with medication), spirulina, almonds, chickpeas and others;
5-hydroxytryptophan is a chemical that no food sources and which is produced from tryptophan and have a beneficial effect on depersivni conditions. It is available as a supplement;
Rhodiola – slows the breakdown of serotonin;
St. John’s wort – this is probably the most popular herb used to combat depression. For centuries used to make medicinal herbal potions Cleaners and treating depression, sleep disturbances o anxiety. In women showed extremely beneficial in combination with Vitex Angus Castus for treatment of PMS symptoms and declines in the mood.