Feeling Depressed? Eat Some Spinach...

Have you ever heard that eating green foods are good for your mood? Or that you may be depressed because you are not eating enough Lima beans or spinach? Well my mom never knew the medical literature is amazing in it's agreement that a folic acid (folate) deficiency, which by the way is widespread in the U.S., is related to psychiatric disorders, like depression and also dementia and schizophrenia. Folic acid is a B vitamin first isolated from green leafy veggies. It's also heavily concentrated in legumes. The fact that folic acid can act as an antidepressant is no secret to scientists.

Dr. Young from McGill University notes that patients with various levels of depression have much higher rates of folic acid deficiency that the general public. Also, psychiatric patients with low folic acid are more severely disturbed. There are good reasons why a lack of the vitamin can cause depression, he says. Folic acid deficiency causes serotonin levels in the brain to sink.

People purposely deprived of folic acid in tests have lapsed into sleeplessness, forgetfulness and irritability after five months, when folic acid was added back into the diet, the symptoms mostly disappeared in two days.

In a double-blind study 75 patients with depression who were on the drug lithium were given 200 micrograms of folic acid a day (equal to about 3/4 cup of spinach) to half the group for a year. The others got a placebo. Those getting the folic acid had a dramatic relief form depression.

Dr. Young suggests that 200 to 500 micrograms of folic acid a day may help fight depression in certain people. That amount is easily found in food.

Resources:
Folate and depression—a neglected problem
Folate and depression

For foods high in folic acid.

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