When you feel depressed, stressed, or just not quite as happy as usual, you might be tempted to reach for food to brighten your mood. But not all food is created equal, and many highly processed and calorie-dense treats can have negative effects on our bodies. Therefore, you might wonder if there are healthy foods that can improve your mood. Some people say a clear "yes" and point to so-called "mood food." These are foods referred to as happiness boosters because they are not only healthy for the body, but are also said to have a mood-enhancing effect.
Can food really brighten your mood?
Recently, there have been new research findings on the connection between nutrition and mental health. However, it is important to note that our mood can be influenced by many factors such as stress, environment, sleep, genetics, and nutrient deficiencies. Therefore, it is difficult to determine the specific role that nutrition plays in mental health. It has been shown, however, that certain foods can promote overall brain health and improve certain types of mood disorders.
What happens in the body?
Hormones and neurotransmitters are responsible for our mood. But how are these messengers created in the first place? Nutrients from the food we consume are partially responsible, as they provide essential building blocks for the formation of these very messengers. This explains how serotonin levels, for example, can be boosted through food. The following foods are considered mood food and are often found under the slogan "Eat yourself happy."
Ginger
Ginger unfolds its mood-food potential through the gingerol contained in the yellow root. Gingerol is the substance responsible for the spiciness in the root. This spiciness is initially perceived by the brain as pain. In order to alleviate the registered pain, the body releases endorphins in return. The messenger substance endorphin—like serotonin—is known as a happiness hormone.
Berries
Berries contain a multitude of antioxidants that play a central role in combating oxidative stress. This mood food is also an excellent source of magnesium. Magnesium can inhibit the release of the stress hormones adrenaline and noradrenaline, helping us get through everyday life more calmly. You could almost say: Berry good—all good.
Fermented foods
Fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut, or kimchi can have a positive effect on gut health. Due to the gut-brain axis, these foods automatically have an influence on our mood as well. The crucial factor here is the probiotics they contain, which studies show increase serotonin levels.
Dark chocolate
Reaching for chocolate is not entirely unfounded. This is because chocolate is rich in many mood-enhancing substances. The cocoa it contains provides a lot of tryptophan, which is understood to be a precursor to the happiness hormone serotonin. For the highest possible cocoa content, it is therefore best to reach for dark chocolate rather than milk chocolate, which contains many other ingredients like fat and sugar. So there is likely something to the popular soul food that is chocolate.
Bananas
Just like in cocoa, the substance tryptophan is also found in bananas. This, in combination with the carbohydrates they contain, helps in the production of the happiness hormone serotonin and can improve mood and well-being.
Other mood boosters
These are arguably the most important mood foods. However, these are by far not all the foods, as vanilla, fish, lentils, almonds, and avocados are also said to have a certain superpower. Even though the topic of nutrition is obviously very close to our hearts and we are absolute foodies, we should not forget that food is only one piece of the puzzle on the path to being happy and healthy. Another piece of the puzzle is, for example, nightly sleep, which has an impact on mood. The process can also be explained through neurotransmitters. After a restful night with sufficient sleep, dopamine levels are particularly high the next morning. Conversely, dopamine levels are correspondingly low after a long night out, and a bad mood is predictable.
Who would have thought? Fasting can make you happy!
Some people might feel slightly grumpy at the mere thought of fasting. But contrary to the expected idea, the opposite phenomenon usually occurs: your mood improves. According to studies, this phenomenon is rooted in the production of ketone bodies. These are produced from fat. For the body to be able to do this, there must first be little energy available from carbohydrates. This is simply achieved through a ketogenic diet or by eating nothing or very little—in other words, fasting. The produced ketone bodies can act as mood boosters and help us go through everyday life in a happier state.
Juice fasting as mood food
Consciously avoiding solid food during a juice fast can therefore actually have a positive effect on our mood. And once the ball is rolling, positive behaviors can be more easily transferred to other areas of life, and we benefit from the juice cleanse not only as a form of mood food, but also as a beneficial experience that can have a holistic impact on our lives.
Happiness hormones create a good mood
Feeling happy is a complex interplay of various hormones and neurotransmitters. We have no direct influence on some processes, but we do on many others. If you learn how to take care of yourself, you can succeed in influencing your mood in a natural way. And ultimately, perhaps you can eat yourself a little bit happy after all. Because true good-mood food not only tastes good, but also contains the natural nutrients that lead to the release.
