Our diet affects our emotions and when it comes to the bouts of the blues that struck us occasionally, vitamin deficiency might be to blame.

According to a 2020 research published in BMC Psychiatry, an unhealthy dietary pattern with decreased serum levels of B vitamins is associated with increased risk of depression, while increased consumption is linked to reduced risk of depressive symptoms.

So what’s so special about this group of vitamins and what superpower do they hold in your emotions?

 

 

Vitamin B are the building blocks for many happy chemicals in our body.

 

B vitamins are some of the best vitamins to hack our happy chemicals. Vitamin B12, for example, is involved in the synthesis of the neurotransmitters norepinephrine, serotonin and dopamine without forcing it to surge the way sugars do.

Norepinephrine affects our mood, energy and alertness while dopamine is highly associated with our motivation and our brain’s pleasure and reward system. Serotonin, on the other hand, inhibits pain, reduces depression and regulates anxiety.

Vitamin B12 is naturally  rich in animal products such as beef, liver, chicken eggs, fish and dairy.

 

 

Vitamin B helps boost your energy.

 

Vitamin B is second to none when it comes to giving you the sustained vigor and power you need to tackle your day. Vitamin B1 or thiamine aids the body to convert carbohydrates and fats into glucose, providing you with the energy you need for optimal health and feeling.

You can get your daily value of vitamin B1 from pork, whole grains, nuts, asparagus, firm tofu and pulses.

 

 

Vitamin B helps to keep the mood swings away.

 

Mood swings attributed to hormonal imbalance can be really pesky.

As revealed by medical studies, vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) plays a critical role in keeping the balance of estrogen and progesterone in our body, hormones that are associated with mood disruptions for women.

Most people get enough vitamin B6 through their diet which can be found in salmon, bananas, avocado, sweet potatoes and pistachio nuts.

For women under birth control pills, vitamin B supplementation may be highly recommended as this oral contraceptive depletes B vitamins, especially B6. Talk to your doctor if you’re suspecting B vitamin deficiency.

 

 

 

When our gut is in its best shape, it reflects on the way we feel and think. Luckily, refining our meals to improve our mental health doesn’t have to be that complicated.

A healthy diet sufficient with key nutrients and vitamins is the key.