"Sour makes you happy" or "Chocolate makes you happy" are proverbs that just about everyone knows. But what is there to these proverbs? Is there actually a grain of truth in them? Our diet not only influences our body, but also affects our well-being and state of mind. But how much does our food influence our psyche? Can I literally "eat myself happy"?
Why are we sometimes in a bad mood?
Have you ever been called a "hangry"? No? Then hunger doesn't seem to have much of an effect on you 🙂 Hangry is a neologism made up of the words hungry and angry. What is meant by this is that you get in a bad mood or become angry when you are hungry: the greater the hunger, the worse the mood. However, our well-being and state of mind do not always depend only on the feeling of hunger. Other factors play a role in whether we are in a good mood or not: stress, crises, negative news, losses, comparing ourselves with people on social media or a generally difficult past and childhood can be causes of a bad mood or depressed mood and often even trigger depression. All these external influences and circumstances trigger a lack of chemical messengers - the neurotransmitters - in the brain. The neurotransmitters are involved in transmitting nerve impulses. They include serotonin and dopamine - both also known as happiness hormones. To produce these substances, the body needs certain nutrients. If the body lacks these nutrients, it can lead to a mental imbalance, which promotes negative mood or depression.
Foods that make you happier
In fact, there are individual foods that have a positive effect on the production of neurotransmitters and make us "happier":
| Supports production of serotonin | Supports production of dopamine | Supports production of noradrenaline | Supports production of gamma-aminobutyric acid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Potatoes | Carrots | Green vegetables | Wheat bran |
| Fennel | Bananas | Oats | Almonds |
| Figs | Avocados | Apples | Walnuts |
| Almonds | Nuts | Pineapple | Oranges |
| Walnuts | Paprika | Bananas | Bananas |
| Sesame | Almonds | Lenses | |
| Pumpkin seeds | Oats | ||
| Spinach | Wholemeal products | ||
| Bananas | Natural rice | ||
| Avocados | Broccoli | ||
| Spinach |
Serotonin belongs to the so-called happiness hormones. It takes away anxiety and dispels depressive moods. Together with the neurotransmitters dopamine and noradrenaline, it acts as a "happiness cocktail".
Dopamine is considered the "messenger substance of happiness". It is responsible for the fact that we can feel feelings of happiness. If the body lacks dopamine, this usually manifests itself in the form of listlessness, dwindling concentration and a lack of motivation.
Norepinephrine promotes attention and concentration. A deficiency can become noticeable through a drop in motivation as well as concentration and memory problems.
Gamma-aminobutyric acid provides relaxation and calm. If the body lacks some of this neurotransmitter, it can affect people as anxiety disorder and restlessness.
Fats also play a big role in bad moods, because around 60 % of the dry weight of our brain consists of fat. Sounds strange, but it's true. But not all fats are the same. It is crucial that you eat so-called "good fats" - polyunsaturated fatty acids. They are important for healthy cell growth and a healthy cell metabolism. High-quality, natural and gently pressed oils such as linseed oil are particularly suitable for this purpose. Linseed oil contains many high-quality omega-3 fatty acids. When buying linseed oil, look for organic quality and store it in a dark place.
If you want to start the day well and positively and do something good for your psyche, you can also mix 1-2 tablespoons of linseed oil into your muesli. Add fresh seasonal fruit and you will provide your body with good omega-3 fatty acids and lots of fibre that will keep you full for a long time. Besides linseed oil, algae, linseed, wheat germ, almonds and walnuts are also good sources of omega-3. Are you still looking for a tasty and suitable breakfast cereal? Then take a look at www.bleibwacker.com over.
Chocolate makes you happy!
There is actually some truth to this saying! It is generally believed that chocolate can raise serotonin levels in the brain, which is supposed to make us happier. Chocolate does contain serotonin, but unfortunately too little to trigger this effect.
But all chocolate fans take note: Chocolate can still make you happy! However, this has less to do with its ingredients than with the melting process in the mouth. Many people find the melting process very pleasant and this feeling is associated with happiness hormones! "Chocolate lifts the mood, it is a real feel-good food," says Ingrid Acker, nutritionist in Rödermark. So chocolate does make you happy somehow 🙂
Sources: ARD Alpha, NDR, Utopia
Image fortune biscuits: Adobe Stock, New Africa, #548203448
Image Unhappy: Adobe Stock, D Lahoud/peopleimages.com, #554834116
Chocolate image: Adobe Stock, exclusive-design, #252596556
