Eating For Stress/Depression

Nutrition is one of the fundamentals to keeping stress in check. Let's talk about how we can implement some strategies within our daily diet to manage our stress levels.

Science

Stress has been shown to cause all sorts of dysregulated eating habits, for example a 2020 journal review found that unhealthy eating can result in a diet high in saturated fat which can affect mood causing dysphoria, as well as leakiness of the intestinal wall which leads to gut microbiome changes.. This then feeds back to the brain, and can also influence mood due to the connection between the gut and the brain (which research is learning more about) (Bremner et al., 2020). “The gut-brain axis is a bi-directional system between the brain and gastrointestinal tract, linking emotional and cognitive centres of the brain with peripheral functioning of the digestive tract” (Jenkins et al., 2016).

This can also work the other way around as stress can also lead to an increase in overeating, one study highlights the findings backed up by both the human and animal model (rats), and highlights that in the face of chronic stress, people were more likely to obtain visceral fat (Tomiyama, Dallman and Epel, 2011).

How can I reduce stress with my diet?

High saturated fat diets are known to interfere in the synthesis of serotonin, which is a key brain neurotransmitter implicated during the development of depression. A high fat diet can also disrupt the hypothalamic functions within the brain (Vagena et al., 2019).

On the other hand, proteins have the opposite effects to serotonin, tryptophan is an essential amino acid which can be found in various protein-based foods and dietary proteins. Tryptophan is a precursor for various roles within the body including serotonin (Jenkins et al., 2016). This has been shown in other studies such as a 2013 study, which concluded that low serotonin function after tryptophan depletion can lower mood (Young, 2013). We can get more tryptophan in our diet through tuna, lean meats, dairy, seeds and fruits.

The Mediterranean diet suggested a reduced risk of the development of depression (Firth et al., 2019).

This diet is rich in nuts, vegetables and fruit, and low in meat, with moderate consumption of red wine, and substitutes of unsaturated fats (olive oil) for saturated and monounsaturated fats (butter, animal fat).

In addition to depression, recent studies suggested a relationship between sleep duration and Mediterranean Diet (Firth et al., 2019). Sleep is also proved to have a MAJOR impact on our stress levels. In the MESA Sleep ancillary study, a higher adherence to a Mediterranean-type diet was associated with a 43% greater likelihood of achieving 6–7 h of sleep per night compared to 6 h (Castro-Diehl et al., 2018).

Depression/mood disorders and diet:

“The best way to lower cortisol in the body is to focus on an anti-inflammatory diet,” “That means fewer processed foods and more whole foods.” (Cleveland Clinic, 2021).

Studies have shown that evidence of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) to be beneficial on the effects of depression (Liao et al., 2019). These are essential fats that the body cannot make itself and must get from food. Foods that are high in omega-3 include vegetable oils, nuts (especially walnuts), flax seeds, flaxseed oil and leafy greens (Harvard T.H. Chan, 2019). The American Psychiatric Association now actually recommends intake of 500 mg of omega-3 fatty acids per day in the diet for patients with depression.

Vitamin B-12 has been shown to have a relationship between low levels or deficiencies of vitamin B-12 and depression (Bottiglieri, 2005). Since the Mediterranean diet is rich in B12, it may aid in the reduction of symptoms of depression through dietary intervention of deficiency. It is good to note that there is no need to supplement unless you have checked with your doctor, but including B12 rich foods such as animal products such as fish, lean meat, poultry, eggs, and low-fat fat-free milk as well as fortified breakfast cereals (NHS Choices, 2020).

“If you have a healthy diet but you’re still incredibly stressed and not sleeping enough, you won’t see the results you’re looking for with food alone,” Dietitian Courtney Barth, MS, RDN, LD, CPT(Cleveland Clinic, 2021). Focus on implementing stress management techniques such as meditation and mindfulness. And I know that is not a quick fix and sounds time consuming, but small changes add up!

References:

Bremner, J.D., Moazzami, K., Wittbrodt, M.T., Nye, J.A., Lima, B.B., Gillespie, C.F., Rapaport, M.H., Pearce, B.D., Shah, A.J. and Vaccarino, V. (2020). Diet, Stress and Mental Health. Nutrients, [online] 12(8), p.2428. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12082428.

‌Tomiyama, A.J., Dallman, M.F. and Epel, E.S. (2011). Comfort food is comforting to those most stressed: Evidence of the chronic stress response network in high stress women. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 36(10), pp.1513–1519. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2011.04.005.

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Vagena, E., Ryu, J.K., Baeza-Raja, B., Walsh, N.M., Syme, C., Day, J.P., Houslay, M.D. and Baillie, G.S. (2019). A high-fat diet promotes depression-like behavior in mice by suppressing hypothalamic PKA signaling. Translational Psychiatry, [online] 9(1), pp.1–15. doi:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-019-0470-1.

‌Jenkins, T., Nguyen, J., Polglaze, K. and Bertrand, P. (2016). Influence of Tryptophan and Serotonin on Mood and Cognition with a Possible Role of the Gut-Brain Axis. Nutrients, [online] 8(1), p.56. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/nu8010056.

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Firth, J., Marx, W., Dash, S., Carney, R., Teasdale, S.B., Solmi, M., Stubbs, B., Schuch, F.B., Carvalho, A.F., Jacka, F. and Sarris, J. (2019). The Effects of Dietary Improvement on Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety. Psychosomatic Medicine, [online] 81(3), pp.265–280. doi:https://doi.org/10.1097/psy.0000000000000673.

‌Young, S. (2013). Acute tryptophan depletion in humans: a review of theoretical, practical and ethical aspects. Journal of Psychiatry & Neuroscience, 38(5), pp.294–305. doi:https://doi.org/10.1503/jpn.120209.

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Castro-Diehl, C., Wood, A.C., Redline, S., Reid, M., Johnson, D.A., Maras, J.E., Jacobs, D.R., Shea, S., Crawford, A. and St-Onge, M.-P. (2018). Mediterranean diet pattern and sleep duration and insomnia symptoms in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. Sleep, 41(11). doi:https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsy158.

‌Liao, Y., Xie, B., Zhang, H., He, Q., Guo, L., Subramaniapillai, M., Fan, B., Lu, C. and Mclntyer, R.S. (2019). Efficacy of omega-3 PUFAs in depression: A meta-analysis. Translational Psychiatry, [online] 9(1). doi:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-019-0515-5.

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Harvard T.H. Chan (2019). Omega-3 Fatty Acids: An Essential Contribution. [online] The Nutrition Source. Available at: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/fats-and-cholesterol/types-of-fat/omega-3-fats/.

‌Bottiglieri, T. (2005). Homocysteine and folate metabolism in depression. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry, 29(7), pp.1103–1112. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pnpbp.2005.06.021.

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NHS Choices (2020). B vitamins and folic acid - Vitamins and minerals. [online] Nhs. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/vitamin-b/.

‌Cleveland Clinic (2021). Eat These Foods to Reduce Stress and Anxiety. [online] Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic. Available at: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/eat-these-foods-to-reduce-stress-and-anxiety/.

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