Hippocrates (460-370 B.C.), the father of medicine, included depression in his classification of mental illness. It has been called ‘the common cold of psychiatry’. It is the most prevalent of all the emotional disorders. It may vary from feelings of slight sadness to utter misery and dejection. It is the most unpleasant experience a person can endure and is far more difficult to cope with than a physical ailment. It is now firmly established that what one eats has a profound effect on moods.
Although food choices may depend on taste or other conscious criteria, there is evidence that people often make unconscious food choices that change brain chemistry and put them in a better mood. These foods serve as anti-depressants. Chronic depression has also been linked to a long-term subtle deficiency of certain nutrients that presumably can go unnoticed and uncorrected by the body for long periods. Foods seem to manipulate mood by effecting serotonin, one of the brain’s most remarkable neurotransmitters.
Eating foods that deplete serotonin in the nervous system can make people depressed and their mood bad. On the other hand, taking foods that lead to normal amounts of serotonin in the brain elevates moods more or less in the same way as do the drugs. FOODS THAT ELEVATES MOODS Apple, Asparagus Root, Cardamom, Cashewnut, Chilli Pepper, Garlic, Green Vegetables, Honey, Lemon balm, Selenium Rich-Foods and Vitamin B-Rich Foods.
Apple
The apple, a sub-acid fruit, is a highly nutritive food. It contains an abundance of minerals and vitamins. Apples are invaluable in the maintenance of good health and in the treatment of many ailments. The modern saying ‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away’, sums up the healthful and nourishing qualities of this fruit.
This fruit is regarded as an anti-depressant food, which can help overcome mental depression. The various chemical substances contained in this fruit such as vitamin Bp phosphorous and potassium help the synthesis of glutamic acid, which controls the wear and tear of nerve cells. The fruit should be eaten with milk and honey. This will act as a very effective nerve tonic and recharge the nerves with new energy and life, thereby elevating moods in case of depression.
Asparagus Root
The asparagus is a vegetable of great importance in the diet because of its valuable salts and vitamins as well as for its large amount of cellulose contents. It has been cultivated throughout the temperate zones from the earliest times. It is an alkaline foodstuff, with multipurpose therapeutic properties. The root of asparagus is an anti-depressant food and helps elevate moods.
It makes an effective herbal medicine for the treatment of depression and other mental disorders. It is highly nutritious food and a good tonic for the brain and nerves. One or two grams of the powder of dry root of the plant can be taken once daily in treating these conditions.
Cardamom
Cardamom is one of the most popular spices and is called ‘Queen of Spices’. It is one of the most valued spices in the world. The aroma and therapeutic properties of cardamom are due to its volatile oil.
This spice is a mood elevating food and a decoction prepared from it has been found valuable in overcoming depression. This decoction is prepared by powdering the seeds and boiling them in water. This decoction should be taken mixed with honey. It has a very pleasant aroma and it helps lift moods in case of depression.