Food and Ingredients that Affect Human Mood

Hormones are not the only things that affect someone’s mood, the food we eat and what nutrients or vitamins they contain can also determine how one feels. Just like how certain foods are healthier than others, some help mood more than others. There are many ingredients that can determine a good or bad mood and they can be found in many people’s kitchens because they are commonly used.

Some ingredients that help improve mood are protein, dopamine, and resveratrol. Protein stabilizes blood sugar and sustains energy which increases a person’s mood. Some sources of protein to eat would be cheese, carrots and humus or an apple with almond butter. Besides protein dopamine helps mood and can be found in bananas. Bananas contain 10 milligrams of dopamine but our bodies can also produce dopamine. The pleasure of a hot shower comes from our bodies producing dopamine and positively affecting our mood and energy (Ramnarace). One other ingredient that encourages a good mood is resveratrol which is an antioxidant commonly found in dark chocolate and red wine. This antioxidant actually increases the level of endorphins and serotonin in the brain. Endorphins are chemicals in the brain that give the body a sense of pleasure and serotonin is a mood altering chemical that also acts as an anti-depressant. Unfortunately, when using chocolate to use these benefits, the recommended portion size is one ounce and too much more can cause other complications such as migraines which can decrease mood (Walcutt).

Chocolate also can reduce pain and mood swings as well. All chocolate contains phenylethylamine (PEA) which increases opioid in the body but dark chocolate will increase higher levels. Opioid are a type of narcotic medication that binds to other...

... middle of paper ...

...).

Work Cited

"Does a Chunk of Chocolate a Day Keep Mood Swings at Bay?" 34 Menopause Symptoms. Web. 08 May 2014.

"9 Health Benefits of Chocolate." Womenshealthmag.com. Rodale Inc., 2014. Web. 10 May 2014.

Hayssen, Radin D. "Can One Literally Eat." "Positive Thoughts?" 2007. Web. 09 May 2014.

"Opioid (Narcotic) Pain Medications: Dosage, Side Effects, and More." WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 02 May 2014.

Ramnarace, Cynthia. "Can Food Affect Your Mood?" CNN. Cable News Network, 27 Nov. 2013. Web. 20 Apr. 2014.

Relfe, Stephanie. "Chocolate Facts: It's Very Bad for Your Health." Chocolate Facts: It's Very Bad for Your Health. 2009. Web. 10 May 2014.

Walcutt, Diana L. "Chocolate and Mood Disorders." Psych Central.com. Psych Central, n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2014.

"What You Eat Can Affect Your Happiness!" What You Eat Can Affect Your Happiness! MotherInc, 2012. Web. 25 Apr. 2014.