Familiar food can lead to depression
The article discusses the impact of common food products on serotonin levels and mood. An expert explains that store-bought sweets, chips, sausage, and processed foods can reduce serotonin production, leading to worsened mood and depression. As an alternative, foods rich in tryptophan and B vitamins are recommended: eggs, nuts, salmon, cottage cheese, bananas, oatmeal, and buckwheat. The benefits of physical exercise and sun exposure are also mentioned.
The article, based on material from the Ukrainian portal Storinka, examines the connection between habitual diet and mental state. An expert claims that refined products—store-bought sweets, sugary drinks, chocolate bars, breakfast cereals—reduce levels of tryptophan, which is necessary for serotonin production. Trans fats found in processed foods, chips, and salty snacks also negatively affect mood. Sausage, frankfurters, and canned goods, according to the expert, harm gut health, where most serotonin is produced. As an alternative for improving mood, eggs, nuts, salmon, cottage cheese, bananas, oatmeal, and buckwheat are recommended. Additionally, it is mentioned that physical exercise and sun exposure promote serotonin production. The article is of a review nature and references the opinion of an expert without naming them or specific studies.