Superfoods for Mental Health: For keeping good mental health, consuming food that is rich in vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and fatty acids increases the production of neurotransmitters to improve cognitive behavior and also facilitates the production of brain cells. In this article, we will discover the 9 superfoods for mental health.

Superfoods for Mental Health

Milk:

Milk is highly nutritious, it is rich in many vital nutrients the presence including calcium, magnesium, copper(minerals), tryptophan (amino acid), and vitamin B12.

• • Calcium: Calcium plays an important role in nerve function.
  • Magnesium: Magnesium plays an important role in nerve transmission, neuromuscular conduction, and maintaining neuromuscular health.
  • Copper: Copper plays an important role in the development and maturation of the human brain.
  • Tryptophan: Tryptophan helps in the production of serotonin and melatonin neurotransmitters; melatonin helps regulate the sleep cycle and serotonin helps in regulating mood.
  • Vitamin B12: Vitamin B12 is a key ingredient for nerve health, and it plays an important role in the production of serotonin and dopamine mood-enhancing neurotransmitters.

Turmeric

The presence of curcumin in turmeric improves the production of brain cells, it is anti-inflammatory helps in the proper flow of blood, and it also encourages the production of mood-stabilizing neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine.

Banana

Banana is high in tryptophan, tryptophan is an amino acid it helps in the production of serotonin neurotransmitter, and serotonin is a mood stabilizer neurotransmitter.

Green leafy Vegetable (Spinach, Kale)

Green leafy vegetables are very nutritious vegetables these vegetables are very much rich in minerals, vitamins, and amino acids, spinach is a very rich source of calcium and magnesium minerals, and it is a very rich source of vitamin B6, vitamin B9(folic acid), vitamin E, vitamin K, and amino acid L-tyrosine. All these nutrients are very good for mental health.

• • Calcium: Calcium involves in the several neural functions, calcium signals control the flow of blood in the brain, several regulates the neurotransmitter synthesis and release.
  • Magnesium: Magnesium involves in maintaining neuronal plasticity, nerve transmission, and neuromuscular conduction.
  • Vitamin B6: Vitamin B6 regulates the energy involves in the brain function, and it helps in production of neurotransmitters.
  • Vitamin B9(Folic Acid): Folic acid involves in the aiding production of RNA and DNA, folic acid slows down the age-related declining function of brain, it improves the cognitive function of the brain, and it also plays a vital role in RBC formation.

Blueberries

Antioxidant anthocyanins which is a type of polyphenols also present in other berries strawberries, and raspberries it helps in balancing free radicals, detoxifies the brain, and a high concentration of antioxidants reduces oxidative stress. Blueberries are very much helpful in age-related decline in mental health.

Nuts

Nuts especially almonds, walnuts, and pistachios are very good for mental health and rich in minerals, vitamins, amino acids, and fatty acids.

• • Almonds: Almonds are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E, and magnesium it helps in reducing stress, maintaining neuromuscular conduction, maintaining healthy nervous system, and promoting brain health.
  • Walnuts: Walnuts are rich in vitamins, and minerals also there is the presence of DHA an omega-3 fatty acid it protects brain health, improves cognitive performance, and prevents age-related cognitive decline.
  • Pistachios: Pistachios are rich in vitamins, and minerals, and the presence of ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), protect brain health, improves cognitive performance, and prevents age-related cognitive decline.

Seeds

Seeds are very rich in vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, and amino acids they are among the healthiest superfoods for mental health. Seeds including flaxseeds, hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds are very much beneficial for brain health, maintaining healthy nervous system, improves cognitive function, prevents age related decline. All the seeds are very much beneficial for mental health, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds are very rich in tryptophan an amino acid that generates melatonin, serotonin neurotransmitters melatonin regulates sleep, and serotonin regulates mood.

Eggs

Eggs are very rich in many brain-healthy nutrients it contains 18 out of 20 amino acids, eggs are in vitamins, minerals, and proteins eggs are very rich in brain-healthy nutrition the presence of amino acids and vitamin B12 makes egg a perfect food for the brain and mental health, they keep the nervous system healthy because of the presence of vitamin B12, also it improves cognitive function, and prevents age-related decline.

Fish

Very rich in omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamin B12 makes fish a perfect choice for healthy food for brain and mental health fish especially salmon, mackerel, trout, sardines, and tuna are very rich in amino acids such as tryptophan which helps in the production of neurotransmitters such as serotonin. consuming fish is very much beneficial for nerve health, cognitive function, reducing stress, and preventing age-related decline in the brain.

These are some brain healthy foods which are very good for functioning of brain and keeping mental health sound.

Summary of Food for Maintaining Good Mental Health:

1. Foods rich in calcium, magnesium, vitamin B6, vitamin B9, vitamin B12 and tryptophan (amino acids) are very much beneficial for keeping mental health sound.
2. Include dairy, green veggies, banana, berries, nuts, seeds, turmeric, if non-vegetarian than fish and egg will help you in maintaining good mental health.
3. Along with healthy food exposing body to sunlight, playing outdoor games, meditation, and having good friendship also helps in keeping mental health sound.

I hope this article will help you to get proper information about Superfoods for Mental Health.

“I wish all the readers have a healthy mental health.”

Writer of the article: Dr. Anil Kumar Sharma (Former Additional Director Department of Ayurveda Rajasthan)