Depression is a mental health disorder that is characterized by persistent spells of low mood, sadness, and disinterest that negatively impacts your personal, professional, and social life. This poor quality of life can even reduce your lifespan by causing premature mortality
There is no cure for depression, but it can be managed through medication and mental health counselling combined with the recommended lifestyle changes. Your diet can also play a role in fighting depression and improving your overall mental well-being.
1. Green Tea
Frequent green tea intake may benefit those with depression if consuming more than 3 cups a day. This may be possibly due to its high content of polyphenols, which is a micronutrient that can lower stress levels in the body, and/or due to theanine, an amino acid that can help protect the brain and make it function properly.
Green tea may also help fight depression due to other factors such as being in a social environment, having a healthier lifestyle, or reducing stress while preparing and consuming the tea. The research is still unclear what aspect of drinking green tea fights depression.
2. Dark Chocolate
Many people like eating dark chocolate, and the good news is it has been shown to potentially reduce stress levels, just not elevate the mood. So, enjoy eating dark chocolate to reduce stress – just don’t expect it to fight depression.
3. Bananas
Bananas are high in fiber and potassium, and research has shown that people who eat bananas feel better. This correlates with another study that showed individuals perceived a decrease in depression symptoms after eating a banana.
4. Avocado
Avocados have the potential to fight against depression due to their magnesium content.
5. Spinach
Spinach is a leafy green that should be eaten by the majority of the population. It is high in iron and calcium, and it has the potential to boost your energy levels by preventing iron deficiency.
At this point, the research is unclear if spinach can fight depression, but again it can improve mood.
6. BlueBerries
Blueberries are full of antioxidants and can elevate the mood. It’s unclear if this small superfood can help fight depression, but an elevated mood is much better than a negative one.
Depression stems from a combination of factors that can be biological, social, or psychological in nature and can cause mental distress in different ways. Some of these factors such as your lifestyle choices are controllable, whereas others such as genetics are beyond your control. The controllable factors can be managed to improve overall mental health and reduce the risk of depression, and a lot of research is being conducted on this topic in recent times.
Try These Home Remedies For A little Help With Your Depression
(Admark Herbals Limited)
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