Healthy Foods for Your Brain
Everyone agrees that there are certain foods that are better for you than others. But did you know that there are foods that are good for your mental health, as well as your physical health? The secret ingredient for your mental health is serotonin.
Healthy foods can boost your mood
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that can affect many aspects of your body and, in particular, your mood. Since serotonin cannot cross the brain-blood barrier, ingesting it in your diet has no direct effect on your mood. However, serotonin does need tryptophan, an amino acid, because it is converted by the body into serotonin. As a result, eating foods with tryptophan can help your brighten your day by increasing your levels of serotonin. A positive outlook is nothing to scoff at, so here are the top ten foods that can boost your mental well-being.
- Chocolate
- Oats
- Egg whites (dried, available at health food stores)
- Turkey
- Chicken
- Sunflower seeds
- Pineapple
- Parmesan and cheddar cheese
- Nuts (especially walnuts)
- Salmon
Most of these foods are common and they are all delicious additions to your meals. Of course, remember that everything is good in moderation and overdoing it with any one type of food is never ideal. However, in normal amounts these foods can help keep your mood balanced and upbeat.
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