“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” This long held principle, first uttered by Hippocrates, is still true today. While many people find benefits and much needed help from what we in the West may consider ‘traditional’ medicine, it’s important to recognize the power of food. After all, good will only come out after good is put in – another simple principle just as true today as ever.
According to Mental Health America, depression is a problem millions of Americans face – 21 million, as a matter of a fact – leading to issues at home, in the work place, and with relationships. Not only is this a tragic situation for those afflicted with depression, but it also affects the country at large, with costs from lost productivity and medical expenses ranging around $83 billion annually.
Naturally, we owe it to ourselves and our fellow Americans (indeed, all people) to work against this trend. One major factor to focus on is diet. Food has a major effect on the mind, namely with the balance of chemical and blood sugar, both of which are known to influence mood. That said, let’s take a look at four food groups that, if consumed regularly and in their whole state, can help combat and prevent depression.
Number 1. Foods HIGH in B Vitamins – Fresh Fruits, Veggies, and More
According to both Oregon State University and the University of Maryland, B vitamins play a major role is controlling mood.* Vitamin B6, B9, and B12 deficiencies have been found to be linked to symptoms of depression, suggesting that getting enough of these vitamins may be a good first place to look. What makes these so important? For starters, B6 (in its principal coenzyme form, pyridoxal 5′-phosphate or PLP) is a “key enzyme in the synthesis of the neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine,” both of which help control and dictate mood. Both B12 and B9 (or folate) are also important as they ” are required for the synthesis of S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe), a methyl group donor essential for the metabolism of neurotransmitters whose bioavailability has been related to depression.”
That being said, be conscious when it comes to getting enough B vitamins. Lucky for us, they are spread out in many different foods, so having a diverse diet helps ensure you’re getting enough of the good stuff. Some great sources include bananas (B6), clams or mussels (B12), and spinach and turnip greens (folate).
*Follow these links for complete explanations: OSU Vitamin B6 Information, OSU Vitamin B12 Information, University of Maryland Vitamin B9 Information
Number 2. Whole Grains – Whole Wheat, Brown Rice
Not only will the added carbohydrates ensure you aren’t deficient (experts suggest at least 45-60 percent of your calories via macronutrients to come from carbohydrates), but the added fiber in your diet will help you get the most from your food. These foods are packed with nutritional value, including healthy sources of vitamins and amino acids. Make it a note to eat more complex carbohydrates, which are known to “raise the body’s levels of tryptophan, the main amino acid needed to make the neurotransmitter serotonin.” Eating plenty of brown rice is a great way to get these benefits, as well as some of those extra B vitamins mentioned above.
Number 3. Omegas – Salmon, Flax Seed
Heading back to the University of Maryland for information, we’ve also discovered that omegas may be a ticket to better mental health as well. As noted, they have found that taking omega supplements in addition to antidepressants yielded far better results. It hasn’t been determined, though, whether or not taking omegas alone will have any effect on depression or bipolar disorders.
If you’re looking to increase your intake of omegas, go for salmon, flax seed, and walnuts. Eating more of these foods will certainly help your overall health, too.
Number 4. Whole Dark Leafy Greens, Vegetables, Fruits
Finally, eating plenty of dark leafy greens, vegetables, and fruits is a great way to get a holistic source of nutrition, including many of the vitamins already discussed. What this suggestion really speaks to is increasing the amount of whole foods you eat (organic, fresh) and less processed foods with little nutritional value. As Medical News Today has pointed out, after reviewing a recent study, “an overall healthy “whole food” diet comprising a high proportion of fruits, vegetables and fish, protected middle aged people against depression compared to a processed food diet containing a high proportion of high fat dairy food, processed meat, fried food, refined grains and sugar-laden desserts.”
All things considered, it looks like Hippocrates was really onto something when he said food was medicine. The principle may be simple, but it is certainly true.
August 10, 2011 at 10:31 am
“Eating plenty of brown rice ” is a good way to get FAT. There is no such thing as carbohydrate deficiency.
I just joined your page from Facebook a week or two ago- so far I’m very disappointed in the quality of the information shared here. Whole grains contain lots of nutrients, unfortunately thay also contains lots of anti-nutrients that prevent the absorption of the nutrients (protease inhibitors, phytic acid) and toxic at the worst. (lectins)
August 10, 2011 at 11:04 am
Thanks for your feedback, Laurie/Paleo Huntress! You might be surprised to find out that brown rice is actually very healthy for you. Not only is it high it B vitamins and gamma-oryzanol (helps build lean muscle mass), but it is a great source of fiber, which helps with high cholesterol and may even help reduce the risk of heart disease. Besides that, research shows that inositol hexaphosphate, a molecule found in brown rice, may even help reduce the risk of cancer – wow!
I encourage you to find out more: http://www.organicsoul.com/nice-rice-the-health-benefits-of-rice/
Regarding the macronutrients, brown rice does contain fat – which is not a bad thing. Fat is essential for the production of various molecules and cell membranes. What’s more, carbohydrate deficiency is indeed a real phenomenon – carbs are our body’s main source of fuel (it’s very easy to metabolize) and all of our cells use glucose for energy. If you don’t get enough carbs, which some argue should represent about 50-70% of our macronutrient supply, your body must metabolize fat and proteins, meaning other systemic functions are losing out on the fuel they need.
Here’s an article about macronutrients and the proportion clinical professionals suggest: http://www.organicsoul.com/macro-and-micronutrients-what-they-are-and-why-we-need-them/
I hope you reconsider the benefits of brown rice (not to mention the quality of our information)! Nevertheless, thank you for taking the time to be critical
August 14, 2011 at 12:56 pm
@Jesse
When studies are done on the health benefits of fiber, the fiber in grains show no health benefit- it is the fiber in fresh produce that’s been shown to be beneficial. Cholesterol levels rise when the body become inflamed- the number one cause of inflammation is high blood glucose, which brown rice will cause every time. Eight ounces has the same glycemic load as a 2″ fudge brownie or a snack-size (not bite size) Snicker’s bar.
Fat most definitely is not a bad thing, but the fat in brown rice is unstable and quick to go rancid (mega free-radicals)- the second most common cause of inflammation in the body. These fats are incorporated in the cell-membranes, but unlike the saturated fats that give cells stability, the fats in brown rice make cell walls weak and floppy.
Human beings didn’t eat grains until the birth of agriculture 10,000 years ago- however, homo-sapien sapien (modern human) has been around for 150,000 years. If these starchy carbs were so necessary, how did they thrive for more than 140,000 years without them? The answer is, they’re not necessary, nor are they healthy. The reason they make you feel better is because they cause the same euphoria that other drugs cause- it’s not healthy, it’s addictive.
A diet with no grain at all practically eliminates the risk of diabetes. Which is better? Will trading white rice for brown rice reduce your risk of diabetes? Well sure, there’s less sugar in it… but cutting it out all together is best. Brown rice is simply the lesser of the two evils.
Living with a full stomach is not the same is living with nutrition. The trouble with rice is this- as a seed, rice does employ a number of anti-consumption deterrents, most of which are located in the hull and bran.
Phytate, or phytin in brown rice, binds to minerals, rendering them largely useless to any animal that consumes it. Well, rats can break through the phytate and get at the minerals fairly well, but they evolved that ability – we did not. Heat does little to phytate, but, since it’s located in the bran, physically removing the bran removes the phytate. That’s why brown rice eaters tend to have poorer mineral balances than white rice eaters.
Trypsin is a digestive enzyme produced by mammals to cleave protein peptides in twain and reduce them to their constituent parts – amino acids – for easy absorption. Without trypsin (or with it inhibited), we’d be hard pressed to digest all the protein we eat. Luckily for rice eaters, trypsin inhibitor is located primarily in the outer embryo of the rice seed, with a bit in the bran, and none in the polished, milled seed. Bran-free white rice has no trypsin inhibitor.
Brown rice contains haemagglutinin-lectin, which can bind to specific carbohydrate receptor sites in the intestinal lining and impede nutritional absorption. Again, though, it’s only found in the bran.
Rice (even white) contains potential allergens, which cannot be neutralized by processing. Rice allergy isn’t necessarily common, but its incidence rises in countries that eat a lot of rice. Wheat-sensitive individuals and others with food-related autoimmune disorders seem more susceptible to rice allergy, too (big surprise there), and allergic reactions generally manifest as atopic dermatitis, eczema, gastrointestinal distress, or asthma. If you’re sensitive to food in general and grains in particular, rice could pose a problem. And even if it doesn’t cause an immediate reaction, there remains the question of latent, hidden damage. Gluten is damaging even to supposedly wheat-resilient individuals.
Studies don’t compare a diet high in whole grains to a diet with NO grains. The fact is that most people eating whole grains are displacing polished grains and processed foods with them… but if they cut out the whole grains, they’d be far healthier. Also- milling doesn’t “destroy” nutrients, it removes them. And as they’re contained in the bran, which also contains the elements that prevent their absorption, it’s a wash.
When people started eating grains they lost 1/4 of their life-expectancy, several inches in height, developed the first fat and protein deficiency diseases, the first signs of tooth decay and degenerative bone disease. People in cultures who get significant calories from grains/beans often develop, porotic hyperostosis, a painful and often debilitating protein deficiency disease… this happens not because the grains don’t “contain” enough protein, but because the body can use it. This has been proven time after time in both anthropological and archeological circles. The Chinese culture is still new by those accounts. BTW, the Chinese have been eating POLISHED white rice for most of the time they’ve been eating rice- it doesn’t contain the anti-nutrients. The issue of allergies is secondary- the claim that brown rice is anything more than a high calorie starch-punch is what I’m refuting. High glycemic foods all make us feel uephoric… it’s why we call them “comfort foods”- but comfort foods do something else too- they make us fat.
Ayurvedic guru Dr. Gabriel Cousens is mostly anti-grain as well- and recommends leaves, produce, nuts, fruits, etc- saying the typical vegetarian diet is too low in fat, causing it to be too high in carbohydrate. He recommends reducing starches and increasing fat to 35-50% of calories.
What does brown rice contain that you cann’t get in more quantity in another food withOUT all the extra starch and antinutrients? Only 8% of the calories come from protein, and out of a whopping 45 grams of carbohydrate (in 8 cooked oz), only 4 of those is fiber, meaning 76% of those calories are pure carbohydrate. For the same calories in fresh spinach you get almost 50% protein, TWENTY grams of fiber (5 times as much as rice) and the carbohydrate makes up only 26% of the calories. Add to that that it contains 1733% <-(that's not a typo) of daily vitamin A, (rice contains none) 433% vitamin C, (rice contains none), 94% vitamin E (rice- none), 90% B6 (rice 14%), 4 TIMES as much thiamin as rice, twice as much niacin, 9 times as much choline, 40 times as much calcium, 28 times as much iron, etc… need I go on?
You know what rice has more of? Carbohydrates…
As for this mysterious inositol hexaphosphate that you mention, it is phtyic acid- This is how phytic acid is defined:
Phytic acid (known as inositol hexakisphosphate (IP6), or phytate when in salt form) is the principal storage form of phosphorus in many plant tissues, especially bran and seeds. Phytate is not digestible to humans or nonruminant animals, however, so it is not a source of either inositol or phosphate if eaten directly. Morever, it chelates and thus makes unabsorbable certain important minor minerals such as zinc and iron, and to a lesser extent, also macro minerals such as calcium and magnesium.
Remember what I said about rice's anti-nutrient properties? Tell us again what rice's benefits are? lol Just how much protein does something need to contain for you to call it high in protein? Maybe this is the better question, how little would a food need to contain to be considered LOW in protein?
On the subject of carbohydrate deficiency- there's no such thing. But there are both fat and protein deficiency diseases written about in every internal medicine textbook. Before human beings had access the massive quantities of starch from grains, they lived a relative low-carb diet. They had fruits only when in season and tubers were the same… the typical primitive person (though genetically identical to us) probably consumed fewer than 20 grams of carbohydrate/day for 9-10 months a year. This means they had a ketogenic metabolism during that time- eating non-starchy leaves, meats, tart berries, insects, nuts, etc. For the other weeks, they likely ate high glycemic foods in plenty- and guess what happened when they did? They put on FAT for the long Winter ahead. There are absolutely NO diseases of carbohydrate deficiency. Keeping in mind the cultures (Masaai, Inuit) from around the world that eat no plant food at all and still thrive, how can you make that claim?
November 1, 2012 at 9:07 am
@ Paleo Huntress
Do you have a book? I’m interested in your thoughts on humans, evolution, and nutrition.
August 13, 2011 at 3:54 pm
As a medical professional who specializes in Nutrition, Stress Management & Life Coaching I appreciate ALL your articles and information…I encourage my clients to add you to their facebook pages!
January 18, 2012 at 1:13 am
“Both B12 and B9 (or folate) are also important as they ” are required for the synthesis of S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe), a methyl group donor essential for the metabolism of neurotransmitters whose bioavailability has been related to depression.”
yes, that is why most vegetarians are at risk with b12 deficiency co’z they don’t consume the recommended vitamin b12. There are many alternative in getting vitamin b12 instead of eating protein based food, they do b12 injection or b12 mouth spray like this one http://products.mercola.com/vitamin-b12-spray/