Foods that Help Fight Depression
The food you eat can have a major impact on both your physical and mental health. If you struggle with depression and you’re looking for non-medication forms of treatment, you should consider your diet. Including certain foods can help you to better treat your depression.
Anti-Inflammatory Foods
While depression is a mental disorder, there are physiological processes that contribute to it. Studies have shown that inflammation plays a big role in depression. Including more anti-inflammatory foods in your diet can help you to physically manage your depression. Nutrient dense foods are good for fighting inflammation. One of the best options is leafy greens. These greens have many vitamins in them and are best for fighting inflammation. You can also include many other vegetables and fruits in your diet along with nuts and seeds.
Antioxidants
Many illnesses are impacted by free radicals in the body. Removing these free radicals can help many conditions including depression. Antioxidant foods are a great way to fight these free radicals. Antioxidants can also help to fix the cells in your body. There are many antioxidant foods you can include in your diet. Berries, like blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries, are a great source of antioxidants. You can also get antioxidants from a variety of fruits and vegetables.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3 fatty acids are beneficial to your body in many different ways. They make up part of the cells in your body and they also play a major role in reducing inflammation. So, eating more omega-3 fatty acids can help you get more than just one benefit. Additionally, omega-3 fatty acids help to give you more energy. This can be especially beneficial to people who struggle with depression. Often, you may feel tired or low energy, and having these omega-3 fatty acids can help give you a boost throughout your day. Omega-3 fatty acids are commonly found in most types of fish including salmon and herring. If fish isn’t your favorite, you can also get omega-3 fatty acids from a variety of nuts and seeds.
Changing up your diet can help you improve your depression symptoms. You can focus on foods that specifically address depression or you can improve your diet with the goal of improving your health over all. This can help your body function better and it can improve your self-image.
Learn more about different treatment options for depression.