Do You Know How Diet Influences Your Mood?

The brain has two great missions : to control the functioning of the body, and to create and maintain the ability to think, feel and act, all with the ultimate goal of survival.

But its development, maintenance and operation depend largely on what we eat, and in turn our eating behavior and how we feel are influenced by its activity.

That diet affects behavior and mood is a very ancient human belief, but the development of science has made it possible to better understand this impact.

Today we know, for example, the devastating effects of nutritional deficiencies on children’s brain development or that deficiencies in certain nutrients can alter basic psychological processes such as memory and learning.

On the other hand, it has been shown that food, being a key piece of the architecture and dynamics of the brain, can influence motivations, emotions and ways of interpreting reality.

Chocolate, coffee, or alcoholic beverages are also known to contain psychoactive substances that modify behavior ; that the schedules and dynamics of the diet affect brain function and mood; or that different environmental pollutants can affect the brain and behavior.

Boosting serotonin depends on diet

In recent times, the relationship of tryptophan – an amino acid – with the formation of serotonin, a neurotransmitter involved in the control of sleep, mood, pain sensitivity and appetite for carbohydrates has aroused great interest .

The rate of serotonin formation in the brain appears to depend on the concentration of tryptophan in the blood, something that can be influenced to some extent by diet.

Thus, diets rich in tryptophan and carbohydrates, and poor in tryptophan competing amino acids, can promote serotonin synthesis.

With all that is known and what remains to be known, it seems that to the old phrase “we are what we eat” it could be added to some extent that, to a large extent, we also feel how we eat.

What diet is best for the brain?

What is best for the brain is a healthy diet that provides the necessary energy in a stable and progressive way and that covers the daily recommendations of the different nutrients.

It is not a special diet: it has been said that everything that does good to the heart does good to the brain, and it is a logic that can be extended to the whole organism.

Does eating “bad” affect the brain?

In general, yes. Different deficiencies and excesses are behind the majority of investigations that associate behavioral and eating disorders.

It is advisable to have a healthy diet that provides the body with everything it needs, thus avoiding the appearance of problems and allowing it to develop its potential.

Are magnesium and stress related?

Stress can cause a magnesium deficiency through neurohormonal mechanisms and, in turn, magnesium deficiency favors hypersensitivity to stress even in cases of chronic marginal deficit: a vicious circle that should be short-circuited.

How does taking sugar affect your mood?

Sugar stimulates insulin secretion, which causes hypoglycemia. This induces the adrenal glands to secrete cortisol, adrenaline, and norepinephrine, and causes the brain to secrete glutamate.

All this favors hyperactive behavior.

Sometimes aggressive behaviors have also been observed in people who abuse sugar.

Does a lack of B vitamins cause problems?

Yes, and they have been known for a long time: cognitive problems such as memory disorders, confusion and decreased concentration, and emotional problems such as irritability and depression.

A rich and varied diet, with whole grain products and little presence of refined products is a good resource to prevent them.

What impact does the selenium deficit have?

The function of selenium and other trace elements has been known for only a few decades.

New studies have shown that it plays an important role in the brain and that its deficiency is very harmful, as it is commonly associated with depression and periods of confusion.

Does iron influence behavior?

His deficiency, yes. It is one of the most frequent and anemia its best known consequence. But it actually affects behavior very late.

Many symptoms associated with this deficiency have been described in the absence of anemia, such as apathy, irritability, decreased attention and inability to concentrate.

Does eating chocolate lift your spirits?

Cocoa contains theobromine and caffeine, both stimulants. Also anandamide, which binds to the same brain receptors as the active ingredient in marijuana.

All of this may explain why it is so rewarding for many people.

Does the brain need omega-3 fats?

Yes. Poor diets affect your structure and function, learning and behavior, and have been linked to depression and cognitive decline with age. They seem to play a role in preventing stress and Alzheimer’s.

Are there menus to be even “better”?

Once a balanced diet is followed, it is difficult to improve psychological processes and mood. Beyond that, there does not appear to be an ideal or “miracle” diet.

But sometimes restrictive diets linked to a certain philosophy of life are proposed that help to feel better from the beginning, although the effect can be diluted later.