How Food Affects Our Mood

The father of modern medicine Hippocrates said, “Let your food be your medicine and your
medicine be your food.” The importance of healthy food has been predominant in our lives
fromlife from the beginning. It’s evident that good food leads to good health and indeed it leads
to good life. However, in past few years, the wheels of interest have turned towards how food
affects our mood. (1) The food and mood connection is ever present from the birth. The facial
expression of a newborn baby shows positive response (smile) to sweet food and negative
response to bitter food. (2) The food directly affects the brain structure, chemistry, and
physiology.
(3) The food we eat acts as neuro-nutrient, which affects the production of neurotransmitter in
our the brain, which in turns affects theour mood. Nutrients from the food we eat like vitamins,
minerals, carbohydrates, and proteins provide the biological building blocks to produce
neurotransmitters in theour brain. Hence these nutrients are called neuro-nutrients.
Neurotransmitters are the natural biochemicalsbiochemical in the bodyour bodies.
Neurotransmitters trigger, regulate, intensify, or lessen our moods and reactions to the situations.
It’s the neurotransmitters that affects mood.

Food (neuro-nutrients) Neurotransmitter Mood

(4) The relationship between food and mood is complex and depends on neuro-nutrient of the
food, the amount of food consumed and the age. Each food contains different neuro-nutrients,
therefore, it affects mood differently.
(5) It’s nutrients that feed the brain and body. The food we eat supplies the biochemical basis for
health, growth and to foster biochemical changes that produce the requireddesired Formatted: Not Highlight
neurotransmitter to create a desiredwhich influence our mood. This enhancement of mood occurs
because the food fulfills the neuro-nutrient deficiency and accelerated specific biochemical
reactions in the brain and body.
TheOur brain is a biochemical thinking machine, and it’s affected by what you eat. Every
vitamin and mineral have an impact on theour brain’s functioning. Poor nutrition causes
inadequate neuro-nutrients in the body which reduce the brain’s production of mood-enhancing
neurotransmitters (as shown in Fig 1). As we have experienced that we are likely to overreact to
a situation when we are hungry than when we have just eaten.
 (fig.1 from reference 3)

Dopamine is a pleasure giving neurotransmitter. It’s a form of amino acids. (6) As protein
(neuro-nutrient) is itself made of amino acids, production of dopamine is increased by increasing
the intake of protein-rich foods like eggs, milk, and chicken. (7) As Chocolate contains several
potentially psychoactive chemicals such as anandamides thatwhich stimulate the brain and gives
a pleasant feeling. (1) Coffee contains neuro-nutrient caffeine that blocks adenosine receptors in
the brain and relieves headache, drowsiness, and fatigue.
(3) The first signs of imbalance in the brain and body chemistry because of nutritional
deficiencies are usually altered moods and behavior. The nutritional deficiencies and imbalances
that produce mood and behavior problems sow the seeds for physical diseases, such as heart
disease and cancer, years later. The same nutrient-rich or nutrient-weak blood that flows through
the brain also flows through the rest of the body. The difference is that the brain is very sensitive
to poor nutrition and immediately gives off signal in form of changed in mood. Whereas, it takes
years for poor nutrition to affect the organs.
It’s a fact that healthy food promotes a good mood. Good mood influences our perspective on
life and we become optimistic. (9) And when we become optimistic our longevity increases.
Longevity increases because when we are in an upbeat and positive mood our brain and body
makes the health-promoting neurotransmitters.
It has become evident that the root of positive mood is healthy food. Therefore, it’s best to
follow a well-balanced diet rich in protein, high-quality carbohydrates and low in fat for a
cheerful mood.
References:
1) Rogers, P. 1995. Food, mood, and appetite. Nutrition Research Reviews, 8: 243-269.
2) http://dujs.dartmouth.edu/2011/02/you-are-what-you-eat-how-food-affects-your-
mood/#.WwrHxkiFM2x
(Dartmouth Undergraduate Journal of Science)
3) The Food-Mood Solution by Jack Challem (Publication John Wiley & Sons, Inc.)
4) Rogers P.J. & Lloyd H.M. (1994). Nutrition and mental performance. Proceedings of the
Nutrition Society, 53: 443-456.
5) Forward of the book – The food mood solution by Melvyn R. Werbach, M.D. Diplomate
in Psychiatry, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology
6) https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/what-dopamine-diet
7) Ottley, C. 2000. Food and mood. Nursing Standard, 15(2): 46-52.
8) https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/handy-hints-humans/201601/optimism-how-
live-longer-and-be-happier & Learned Optimism (Vintage 2006) by Martin Seligman