Fats That Might Depress You

Shift your fatty acid balance in favor of a brighter mood.

Modern diets are high in omega-6 fatty acids -- found in meat, eggs, refined grains, and corn oil -- and low in omega-3 fatty acids. New research suggests this imbalance could be a risk factor for depression. Add more mood-boosting omega-3-rich foods, such as flaxseeds, fish, and nuts, to your diet.

Omega-6s and omega-3s are forms of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Researchers have long suspected that deficiency in omega-3 fatty acids contributes to depression. Now, a new study reveals that the balance between omega-3s and omega-6s may influence depression risk. In the study, brain cell membranes of depressed rats had elevated levels of arachidonic acid, a type of omega-6, in certain areas. Nondepressed rats had lower levels. The amount of omega-3s in the brains of both depressed and nondepressed rats, however, did not differ significantly. Omega-6s are found in abundance in red meat, poultry, refined grains, and certain fats such as corn oil and margarine. Balance your intake of these foods with your intake of omega-3s found in fatty fish, canola oil, flaxseeds, soybeans, and nuts.

Actively patrolling your health can make your RealAge as much as 12 years younger.

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Healthy diet

From a psychological perspective, a new healthy diet may be difficult to achieve for a person with poor eating habits. This may be due to tastes acquired in early adolescence and preferences for fatty foods. It may be easier for such a person to transition to a healthy diet if treats such as [[chocolate]] are allowed; sweets may act as mood stabilizers, which could help reinforce correct nutrient intake.

It is known that the experiences we have in childhood relating to consumption of food affect our perspective on food consumption in later life. From this, we are able to determine ourselves our limits of how much we will eat, as well as foods we will not eat - which can develop into eating disorders, such as [[anorexia nervosa|anorexia]], [[bulimia nervosa|bulimia]], or [[orthorexia nervosa|orthorexia]] This is also true with how we perceive the sizes of the meals or amounts of food we consume daily; people have different interpretations of small and large meals based on upbringing.

While plants, vegetables, and [[fruits]] are known to help reduce the incidence of chronic disease,{{Citation needed|date=April 2009}} the benefits on health posed by plant-based foods, as well as the percentage of which a diet needs to be plant based in order to have health benefits is unknown. Nevertheless, plant-based food diets in society and between nutritionist circles are linked to health and [[longevity]], as well as contributing to lowering cholesterol, weight loss, and in some cases, [[Stress (medicine)|stress]] reduction.{{Citation needed|date=April 2009}}

Indeed, ideas of what counts as "healthy eating" have varied in different times and places, according to scientific advances in the field of nutrition, cultural fashions, religious proscriptions, or personal considerations.

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