You Are What You Eat Because Your Mood Depends On Your Food

A new research done by Binghamton University, State University of New York shows that the overall mood of the adults depends on what they eat. This research was carried out through an anonymous internet survey which included a ‘Food-Mood Questionnaire’ reports Medical Express.

Food As Mood Indicator

The survey was conducted by Lina Begdache, an assistant professor of health and wellness studies at Binghamton University and her colleagues. The questionnaire included questions related to food groups that are linked to neurochemistry and neurobiology and the data collected found out how food mattered in an adult’s psyche. The data analysis found that young adults between the ages of 18 to 29 years, depended on food like meats and those over 30 years of age depended on food like fruits and avoided food like coffee and those with high glycemic index. The young adults opted the food group that increases the availability of neurotransmitter precursors and concentrations in the brain and the mature group opted for food that increases availability of antioxidants.

Hear It From The Expert

“One of the major findings of this paper is that diet and dietary practices differentially affect mental health in young adults versus mature adults,” said Begdache to Medical Express. “Another noteworthy finding is that young adult mood appears to be sensitive to build-up of brain chemicals. Regular consumption of meat leads to build-up of two brain chemicals (serotonin and dopamine) known to promote mood. Regular exercise leads to build-up of these and other neurotransmitters as well. In other words, young adults who ate meat (red or white) less than three times a week and exercised less than three times week showed a significant mental distress.”

“Conversely, mature adult mood seems to be more sensitive to regular consumption of sources of antioxidants and abstinence of food that inappropriately activates the innate fight-or-flight response (commonly known as the stress response),” added Begdache. “With aging, there is an increase in free radical formation (oxidants), so our need for antioxidants increases. Free radicals cause disturbances in the brain, which increases the risk for mental distress. Also, our ability to regulate stress decreases, so if we consume food that activates the stress response (such as coffee and too much carbohydrates), we are more likely to experience mental distress.”