Depression - Nutritional Support
Last Updated on Sunday, 18 October 2009 21:55
Nutritional Support for Depression
Many people find that they don’t feel like eating when they are depressed. Others may reach for junk food or chocolate as a comfort food to ease the pain and misery. Whichever the case an unbalanced diet means that you are depriving your body of exactly the nutrients that can help you feel better.
Vitamins and Minerals that Can Help
The list below details the vitamins and minerals that your body needs to help you feel better as well as the foods that contain them.
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B Vitamins (especially folic acid and B6) Found in vegetables, especially green leafy ones and potatoes, dried peas, beans and lentils, peanuts, eggs, fruit, nuts, whole grains, wholemeal bread, Marmite or other yeast extracts, fish, liver and kidneys and poultry.
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Vitamin C Found in fruit and vegetables, particularly bell peppers, potatoes, citrus fruits, kiwi fruit, tomatoes, strawberries and blackcurrants.
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Calcium Found in milk, cheese and other dairy products, green leafy vegetables, canned fish with bones, such as sardines (eat the bones too for a real boost).
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Potassium Found in Avocadoes, dried peas, beans and lentils, nuts and seeds, dried fruit, tomatoes, fruit (particularly bananas and oranges) and wheatgerm.
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Iron Found in offal (kidneys and liver), other red meats, sardines, egg yolks, green leafy vegetables and fortified breakfast cereals.
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Magnesium Found in dried peas, beans and lentils, nuts, seeds (particularly sesame seeds), dried figs, wheatgerm and whole grains.
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Copper Found in liver, shellfish, nuts, mushrooms and cocoa.
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Zinc Found in shellfish (particularly oysters), whole grains, meat, poultry, eggs, dairy products, nuts and seeds.
Foods to Limit
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Deep fried and other fatty foods.
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Foods with high sugar content, the odd piece of chocolate is good for you.
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Caffeine: Too much exacerbates the symptoms of depression so have no more than two cups a day and definitely none before you go to bed.
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Alcohol. You don’t have to give it up altogether (unless you have a drinking problem). A glass of wine or beer with your evening meal is fine, but don’t drink to excess as this can make your symptoms of depression worse.
