How great an impact does diet have on mood? Scientists have long studied the effects of nutrition on health, and we are aware of the consequences that a poor eating habits and too many calories can have on the body, such as obesity, increased risk of diabetes and heart disease. But we don't often think about the association between what we eat and drink and the affect this has on our moods. Interestingly, choosing one food over another can be used to your advantage, helping to offset negative emotions and change the way you feel for the better, at least temporarily. Your diet can also have a less positive effect on the way you feel. Emotions are linked to certain brain chemicals called neurotransmitters. Three neurotransmitters in particular - dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin - have been studied in relation to food, and this research has shown that neurotransmitters are produced in the brain from components of certain foods. With focus on the food-mood connection, researcher Judith Wurtman, former member of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology research staff and author of “The Serotonin Power Diet,” notes that people are more alert when their brains are producing dopamine and norepinephrine. A calmer effect has been associated with serotonin production. A stable brain serotonin level is associated with a positive mood state. Who can forget the low-carb craze? Thankfully, most people now recognize that carbohydrates are a necessary part of a healthy diet. Wurtman, who also directed the Program in Women's Health at MIT's Clinical Research Center, and her colleagues, found that when carbohydrates are withheld, the brain stops producing serotonin. “This is the chemical that elevates mood and suppresses appetite, and only carbohydrate consumption naturally stimulates its production. When serotonin is made and becomes active in your brain, its effect on your appetite is to make you feel full before your stomach is stuffed and stretched,” she states. “Serotonin is crucial not only to control your appetite and stop you from overeating; it's essential to keep your moods regulated.” Many carbohydrates, such as bread, cereal, pasta and candy, can produce this temporary increase in serotonin and a calming effect. A rise in serotonin in the brain can also lead to drowsiness, which is why some people may feel sleepy after eating a large meal of pasta. Carbohydrates affect serotonin levels because they increase the amount of tryptophan in the brain, the amino acid precursor of this chemical. - Cox News Service __
