12 Foods That Fight Depression & Anxiety

Food impacts mental health, and while it won’t magically cure mental illness, dietary changes can do a lot to improve mood. Here’s how:

Nutraceuticals

We’ll not keep the 12 nutraceutical foods a mystery; here’s what they are and a few words on how they work (in many cases, we could write whole articles about them; in some cases, we already have! You can find many of them by using the search function in the top-right of each page).

• Walnuts are rich in omega-3s for brain health; arguably the best nut for depression relief.
• Fermented foods because probiotics in foods like yogurt and sauerkraut support the gut-brain connection as well as serotonin production there, enhancing mood.
• Cherry tomatoes are rich in lycopene, which helps combat both depression and mood swings.
• Leafy greens reduce brain inflammation linked to depression.
• Apples and other fruit are high in fiber and antioxidants that stabilize blood sugar and mood, reducing brain inflammation.
• Beans are high in B vitamins, crucial for neurotransmitter production and mood regulation (without also being high in brain-harmful things, as red meat is).
• Berries are super-high antioxidants and cortisol-lowering anthocyanidins, promoting calmness and reducing stress.
• Oats contain the healthiest kind of fiber, β-glucan, and additionally help stabilize blood sugar and mood; they’re also rich in selenium, which boosts mood.
• Mushrooms help regulate blood sugar and act as prebiotics, supporting serotonin production in the gut.
• Avocados are famously rich in healthy fats, including omega-3s and oleic acid, which support brain health and combat depression.
• Dark chocolate contains antioxidants, magnesium, and gut-healthy prebiotics that indirectly reduce mental stress and improve brain function. Also a famous comfort food for many, of course, and that factor’s not to be overlooked either.
• Pumpkin seeds are rich in tryptophan, which boosts serotonin production. As a bonus, they also help some kinds of antidepressant to work better—check with your doctor or pharmacist to be sure in your case, though.

For more on all of these, enjoy:

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Want to learn more?

You might also like to read:

The 6 Pillars Of Nutritional Psychiatry

Take care!