Nutrition and Your Brain: Part 2 - What to Eat to Ease Depression and Anxiety

Ever wondered what to eat to keep your brain happy and calm?
In this episode of Blasphemous Nutrition, Aimee dives deep into how specific foods can help manage depression and anxiety, breaking down the findings from groundbreaking studies like the SMILES trial, which found that a Mediterranean diet helped 31% of participants achieve remission from depression. Additionally, she'll unveil the Anti-depressent Food Scoring System and explore which nutrients and foods—think omega-3s, leafy greens, and quality proteins—pack the most punch for your mental well-being. Get ready to revamp your plate and fuel your brain the right way!

Key Takeaways:
Diet’s Impact on Mental Health: What you eat can significantly influence your mood and mental health, with evidence supporting the benefits of specific traditional diets from multiple cultures in preventing symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Key Nutrients for Mental Well-being: Nutrients like omega-3s, magnesium, B-vitamins, and zinc play a critical role in brain health, and deficiencies can contribute to mood disorders. Specifically green vegetables, seafood, and higher protein intakes show the most promise iin supporting mental health.

Avoid Ultra-Processed Foods: Diets high in processed foods and sugars are linked to increased rates of depression and anxiety; cutting these out can improve mental health. These foods also can exacerbate gut disorders, which are strongly linked with increased anxiety in those who have IBS and SIBO.

Practical Tips for Everyday Eating: Simple swaps and mindful food choices can help boost mood, manage stress, and support long-term mental wellness.

Resources:
How Dehydration Hijacks Your Health: Symptoms to Watch For and Hydration Tips to Keep You At Your Best
This is Your Brain on Nutrition Part 1: Diet and Mental Health
30 Days of Glorious Greens Cookbook
30 Days of Glorious Greens DIY Program
Find Research Citations and Transcript at Blasphemous Nutrition on Substack

Work with Aimee

Photography by: Dai Ross Photography

Podcast Cover Art: Lilly Kate Creative

Find Research Citations and Transcript at Blasphemous Nutrition on Substack

Work with Aimee

Photography by: Dai Ross Photography

Podcast Cover Art: Lilly Kate Creative

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Transcript

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In my last episode on nutrition and brain health. I discussed how our food choices and hydration or lack of it can impact our brain. Well, the research shows unprocessed Mediterranean style diets are likely to be protective. Translating that into what shows up on your plate isn't necessarily intuitive. So this week I'm going to share the foods that you need to be eating to support your mood, offer servings supported by the research whenever possible. And that way you can begin to organize your plate to support your mood. Grab your shopping list in the pen. You're going to want to hit the grocery store after this episode. Welcome back to blast Ms. Nutrition. I'm Aimee, your professional protein and produce promoter. Today, I'm going to begin with a brief recap, summarizing the highlights of last week's episode, and then jump right in to discuss the specific foods that research shows supports mental health and reduces anxiety and depression symptoms. Okay. Now depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide for people age 15 to 44. And buying neglecting to look at what we're eating. We are leaving a huge means of health and support off the table. But it isn't until recently that research has taken a deeper look into exactly what foods and nutrients are making an impact. 2017 was the first publication of a clinical trial that utilized food to treat depression. This was the SMILES trial. And it was a randomized controlled trial that used a diet as a treatment for major depressive disorder. It found that 31% of participants who adopted a modified Mediterranean diet achieved remission from their major depressive disorder. Now that's a massive success rate. For those of you that are familiar with literature and statistics, the number needed to treat is 4.1. Which means now, if this is accurate and I want to emphasize, we need more research to confirm these findings, but if the SMILES trial is accurate, That means for every four people treated by dietary means one can receive remission from their depressive episode. So why does this matter? Because observational research about dietary patterns and mood are being confirmed via interventional studies. And this allows us to break new ground. The first nutritional guidelines to prevent depression are out now. And the advocate for a traditional diet, like the Mediterranean diet that is rich in whole foods. Omega-3 fatty acids and low in refined sugars and processed foods. Studies from Japan, from Norway, from China, echo these findings, showing that people who follow traditional ancestral diets. Low in processed foods are at significantly lower risk of depression and anxiety. So, what do these traditional dietary patterns provide? Certain nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins, zinc, magnesium, and vitamin D. These are crucial for brain health and maintenance, which I talked about last week. Deficiencies in these vitamins can trigger or worsen anxiety and depressive symptoms. And the research is showing that supplementing with these nutrients can support treatment and alleviate the severity of symptoms as well as the risk. Now I don't like to think about food in terms of isolated nutrients and chances are you don't either. Nor are these individual nutrients likely alone, responsible for prevention and remission in all cases. Our food is a package of nutrients that work together to provide the body what it needs, or in some cases what it doesn't need. Traditional diets, which are rich in vegetables, fiber, and quality proteins, like fish have been linked to a decrease in depression risk. While Western style diets that are filled with processed foods, show the opposite trend. Now I want to state again, that. The most recent data that I've seen. Shows that over 60% of calories in the average American diet comes from. Refined carbohydrates and seed oils. So this is the. This is the standard American diet. This is the sad situation that is literally fucking making us sad. And so stepping away from that and moving back to what your ancestors ate, this is where we want to start to look in finding the foods that are going to best serve you. So let's start with our macronutrients. Now, a macro nutrient is a nutrient that the body needs in macro amounts. Big, right? These are nutrients that we need daily and in large amounts. So looking at the research, there are three big macros that emerge, and that is our protein. Our fats from omega-3 fatty acids and water. Now water is not considered a nutrient, but it is a macro level need by the body that can impact our mood and cognition. So I threw it in there for that reason. Protein intake can have an impact on mental health with potential benefits, including reduced mental distress, improved cognitive functioning, and lower depression and anxiety symptoms. Observational studies of teenagers, as well as elders suggest that higher protein intake is associated with reduced depression and anxiety. Protein might be contributing to improve mental health resiliency in a number of ways. The first thing that comes to my mind is proteins contribution to blood sugar stabilization. If you're not writing those highs and lows of glucose spikes and crashes, it is easier to maintain your mood. Additionally, our protein foods have high amounts of amino acids, and there are some studies that support amino acids in the preservation of mental cognition, as well as mood in older adults. And all simers research is also looking at the impact that nutrition can have in the risk of developing Alzheimer's and the rate of disease progression. So this is something I'm gonna talk about more in the next couple of episodes. So I'm just going to leave that little teaser with you. But to further support this idea that amino acids can impact our brain. Data from the N Haynes data set taken from 2001 to 2012, showed that intakes of tryptophan from the diet. And tryptofan, if you may remember, like that's an amino acid that is commonly found in milk, as well as Turkey. And it's the, you know, we. Have this grandma wisdom of drinking a glass of warm milk before bed or the post Thanksgiving, Turkey coma being due to the tryptophan in these foods. tryptophan is present in all animal foods, as well as soybeans quinoa and oats. That data set from enhance showed that. Higher intakes of tryptophan were associated with lower self-reported levels of depression. And that relationship has also supported in, Another observational research paper evaluating nearly 8,000 women. Who noted that depressed females consume significantly lower levels of tryptophan. Then non-depressed ones. The current American recommendation for protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight per day. And this averages out to be about 50 to 70 grams of protein a day, depending on. How big you are, right? Depending on your size. And there is so much goddamn research out there demonstrating that this amount of protein is in sufficient to preserve basic health in the modern world. You might've been able to get by with it when you were in college, but especially as we've become more sedentary and there's less incentive to keep that muscle, we are quickly losing it. There is reports of low muscle mass legitimate sarcopenia, which is something that we used to only be concerned about in folks who were in nursing homes. But this is showing up as being more prevalent in children and young adults across multiple ethnicities. Not having high amounts of muscle mass, not having sufficient amounts of muscle mass needed to function. Makes these kids susceptible to inflammation and insulin resistance because they do not have enough muscle to effectively utilize glucose from their starchy foods. And this may be part of the reason why we are seeing type two diabetes skyrocket in minors. Last week, I talked about how inflammation and blood sugar issues can exacerbate anxiety and poor mood. You'll want to listen to that episode if you haven't already. So that what I've just said, kind of sinks in a little bit deeper for you. Now, firstly, on the protein train, I want to clear up a common misconception. The recommended dietary allowance for protein. The RDA is not the gold standard of how much you should be eating. It is actually created and intended to be the bare minimum for populations to avoid malnutrition. To make matters worse. The RDA for protein was determined using nitrogen balance studies. And in order to do these studies, people are put on an experimental diet for several weeks, which gives the body a lot of time to adjust to a lower protein intake by slowing down these processes that are not critical for survival, but are critical for helping you feel your best and age well, things like, I don't know, maintaining your muscle mass and strength or keeping your immune system in tip top shape. So while the RDA may keep you from developing Kwashiorkor, which is extreme protein deficiency, that results in a bloated round belly. And if you are of a certain age and you remember Sally Struthers talking about save the children, that's the image in mind, right? That's extreme protein deficiency due to starvation. The RDA will keep you from going there, but it is totally not a blueprint for thriving. And looking at the protein research that has emerged since we established our bare minimum. Back in the day, numerous researchers are demanding that we revise this proclaiming. We actually need twice the amount of the RDA. Or roughly one to 1.2 grams per kilogram, per day, to function and age well throughout our lifespan. So when you think of a standard serving of protein, which we've been taught is about the size of a deck of cards effectively. What you want to do from this moment forward is double that amount. That is the minimum protein serving for a generally healthy adult. Now, if you have a disease, if you're exercising, if you're trying to lose weight, your protein needs may be different than this. But really aside from advanced kidney disease, getting more protein than 1.0 to 1.2 grams per kilogram. Is probably the direction you're going to want to lead. In generally healthy people, more protein is not shown to induce disease. You get these crazy ass, pro- vegan influencers on the internet, screaming about how protein is going to give you kidney disease. And that's bullshit. It's absolute fucking bullshit. There is not evidence in the scientific literature to support this. Period. If you listen to influencers on the internet who are protein positive, you've probably heard that we need a minimum of 100 grams of protein a day. Now. This suggestion is based on a lot of this research that I'm talking about. 100 grams of protein a day is a general recommendation. Your specific needs are likely to be different. I just want to put that out there. Okay. That said in clinical care, I have seen obese sedentary adults. Increase their muscle mass and lose fat by increasing their protein intake, even when they are not. Exercising. When I first started seeing this, it blew my freaking mind and it was, I was like, oh my God, this is, this is the reversal of protein deficiency in action. And here's why. Muscle mass is expensive real estate for the body. Aside from our liver and our brain. It is our muscle that spends the most calories in an effort just to keep going. Your body is not going to invest in growing and building that expensive real estate is specially if you're on a reduced calorie diet. If it was not deemed essential. So this is another signal that I have seen firsthand that many people are actually walking around in a protein deficit. Now 1.2 grams per kilogram per day is close to half of your body weight in pounds expressed in grams of protein per day for my American listeners who hate math. So if you weigh 200 pounds, this means you're looking at a little bit more than a hundred grams of protein a day. Now the current RDA recommendations for that 200 pound person are about 70 grams of protein a day, not a hundred grams of protein a day. The difference between these two numbers is most deliciously expressed by consuming an additional four ounce or 115 grams sirloin steak. Each day. So pinging off the protein is our omega-3 fats. Omega-3 fatty acids are a type of fat found, mostly in cold water fish, as well as some nuts and seeds, grass fed animals and omega three, fortified eggs. These fats are potently anti-inflammatory and also crucial for brain development. The research showing the impact on omega-3 supplementation is pretty robust, but also quite mixed. Now a systematic review of several randomized controlled trials showed that there is no impact. On depression. With long-term omega-3 fatty acid supplementation. That said the studies that they looked at had an average intake of one gram official oil daily. For reference. Uh, three and a half ounce serving of salmon or trout has more than double this amount. That's a hundred gram serving for my non north American listeners. Now, when we look at population studies, we see stronger observation between fatty fish intake and reduced anxiety and depression. So while omega-3 fats. Are implicated as being contributors here. There are other minerals and other compounds that may be enhancing this effect. And so this may be a case where the magic lies in consuming the whole food. But not in that one gram of fish oil a day capsule from Costco that you're taking. Now, when we look at randomized controlled trials in specific populations, we do start to see stronger signals in favor of fish oil. So for instance, women with PCO S that's polycystic ovarian syndrome, for those of you who are unfamiliar with that term, As well as outpatients from childhood to adulthood with major depressive disorders, did experience significant reductions in depression and anxiety symptoms after 12 weeks taking 2000 milligram doses or higher of fish oil. So this is double or more of what was the average amount. That was deemed to be insignificant and making a change. There are still, really is not enough quality research on the specific demographics. So I'm not going to say it's a shoe in, but if eating fish is just not going to happen for you taking two to 3000 milligrams of fish oil is a pretty low risk intervention for most people. And it's worth discussing with your psychiatrist or your physician. Fish oil caps or one of those supplements that can interact with medication. So it is really important to talk to a healthcare professional that is a prescribing healthcare professional. Before you start them. When it comes to dietary sources of omega-3 is the richest sources of our omega-3 fatty acids can be recalled using the acronym smashed. Salmon. Mackerel. Anchovy sardine. Herring. And trout. These cold water fish contain at least two grams of omega-3 fatty acids per a hundred gram or three and a half ounce serving. They also contain an abundance of trace minerals like zinc and calcium and selenium, and more that might reduce inflammation and improve mood through supporting other systems of the body and reducing overall inflammation. Now I have become a huge fan of cold water fish. Simply by witnessing what it can do for people who consume it in high amounts. It can just obliterate elevated triglycerides in months and reduce cholesterol, improve mood, eliminate PMs symptoms, improve immune health. It's just crazy. Fucking good stuff. If you are not a fan of fish. But you're not allergic to it. Start with one that you find palatable, even if it's not a cold water fish that I've recommended. The idea here is that more exposure starts to alter your taste buds and it expands your palette to welcome in other fish species. Now I'm going to say something that many in the health and wellness orthodoxy I will consider a blasphemous. But if the only way that you are going to eat fish is as fried fish and chips or. Fuck even a McDonald's filet of fish. Go for it. Get the double Patty on that filet of fish to boost your protein. And Nick's the button to keep your starch and check if you need to just play with this idea of introducing fish, a bite at a time, wherever you can find it. And however you can tolerate it. It really, is that important. If you have a seafood allergy, omega-3 eggs can be a great source of omega-3 fatty acids for you if they're available in your area, but you will likely need to rely much more on plant sources of omega threes. And we'll need supplementation. This is. A bit of a challenge, um, to put it. A bit understated. I'll talk about this in a moment. With regards to plant sources of omega threes. So I really encourage you to speak with someone about your nutrient needs so that you can ensure that you're getting enough total omega-3 fats. Because these plant sources are not as well utilized by the body as animal sources are. So trading out. Uh, a gram official oil for a gram of flax soil is not going to be the equivalent in your body because of how the body utilizes these two different omega-3 fatty acids. With regards to water, staying hydrated through herbal teas. Regular water and even watery foods like soups and stews. All can be really effective at helping you keep enough liquid in your body that your brain can do all the things it needs to do to stay sharp and to keep your mood elevated. Consuming watery, fruits and vegetables is also helpful here. Every time you need to use the restroom, just do a quick check, make sure your urine is a pale yellow barring any kind of medication or supplement that can change the color of your urine. If you find that when you drink water, it runs right through you. You likely need more electrolytes to facilitate absorption of that water into the cell. I talk about electrolytes extensively. In my hydration episode, I'm going to link to that in the show notes for you to refer to, if you've not yet listened to it. When it comes to micronutrients, right. Or vitamins or minerals and other food compounds. We can get into more detailed foods that can make a massive shift in your overall mood. In 2018. A group of Canadian and American researchers who I'm developing a small crush on, took a look at isolated nutrients that are impactful in alleviating and preventing depression. And then. They created this super cool anti-depression nutrient scoring system based on seeing which foods contain higher amounts of at least one of those nutrients that research shows helps with mood. So, this is where the rubber meets the road, because now we can take something as generalized, as eat a Mediterranean diet or eat a Japanese style diet and make it much broader to be suitable to a variety of cultures. But also make it more specific to focus on certain foods within these dietary patterns, which provide the most impact. Now in taking a review. Of all the research that was out there and they went back, like they went back. They went spelunking so hard in pub med. They went back to like 1946 and started looking at literature. That indicated nutrients. Could have effect in depression going all the way back to the forties. So they ascertained that folate,. Iron. Long chain omega-3 fatty acids. That is the EPA and DHA specifically. As well as magnesium potassium, selenium. Thiamine vitamin a vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin C and zinc have substantial enough evidence to be considered key nutrients to alleviating depression. I can tell you right now. Most people in Western industrialized societies are not consuming enough of many of these nutrients through the foods that they habitually eat. So they took these nutrients. And then they went to the USDA food database. To determine which foods that were in that database had the greatest concentration of these nutrients. They then took those foods and divided them up into animal foods and plant foods. Broadly speaking, the highest scoring animal foods were bivalves. These are oysters, mussels, clams. As well as various seafoods and organ meats, the highest scoring plant foods were leafy greens, lettuces peppers, and cruciferous veggies. Now these are the foods to focus on that you can then integrate into any culturally appropriate dietary pattern. So. If you, dear listener have dietary proclivities that lean on the ancestral bent and you've been sold the benefits of a paleo diet. You're probably smiling right now and nodding your head with glee. The kind of glee that can only come from confirmation bias as this group of health advocates are pretty much the only people I know who get excited about organ meats. Or if they're not yet excited about liver and heart, they already know that they are of high value nutritionally. But here again, we see how foods that are pretty much never on the Western dietary plate are in fact, the ones that have the most power to balance and preserve our mental state. Seafood and green vegetables just don't show up very often on our plate unless we are proactively seeking them out. And most people who are under the age of 40 have never even tried organ meats unless they happen to grow up with an immigrant family member who was still cooking foods from the old country. I will say though, that when we do a head to head comparison of vegetable foods versus animal foods, our veggies do come out on top. On average, they scored higher than animal proteins with the heaviest hitters, the most nutrient dense vegetables that contain nutrients to alleviate depression and anxiety being watercress, spinach. Mustard greens, chard beet greens. As well as salad lettuces, like red leaf and romaine. Additionally, the cruciferous family of which cauliflower, red cabbage, broccoli, kohlrabi, kale, and brussel sprouts also scored highly. So, if you're wanting to use vegetables to boost your mood, focus on the green veg and get at least half a cup of crucifers in every day as well. On the animal food end of the spectrum, it's really the seafood that dominates oysters top the list followed second by liver and organ meats. And then we see clams, mussels, octopus, and crab. The only land animals that made the antidepressant nutrient score top recommendation list is goat. Snails and emu. Again, I'm not seeing these foods on many people's plates, either. So. This would be my recommendation for you. Broadly speaking, given that I don't know, you. If you are struggling with depression and anxiety. And you like seafood. Start making it a part of your lunch or your dinner two to three times a week or more. Because this can get expensive. Don't fret about it being fresh or being wild caught or anything like that. Most of my seafood that I eat on a weekly basis is actually canned. Because it doesn't go bad. It's already cooked so I can whip up something quick. And it's cheaper. We have to let. Perfection go and not let it be the enemy of awesome enough. Okay. Choose canned seafood or frozen seafood. Add it to a green salad or add it to a stir fry with broccoli, kale, cauliflower, or spinach multiple times a week. I get bagged veggies, get frozen veggies. If you need to. I know when you're paralyzed with overwhelm or you're so depressed, you're struggling to get out of bed. You can't make this complicated. All right. Do the best you can. One day at a time, one food at a time. Let these foods be as much your medicine as any prescription you may be taking. And just like that prescription. Sometimes it's a pain in the ass, but you will feel better. In 2016, I ran my first greens challenge. I'm going to resurrect this in March, 2025, but effectively, this is a month long challenge for free, with a focus on green vegetables. I ran this month long challenge each year until 2020. Because in the study that I was doing during my master's degree, it became more and more evident that green veggies are fucking amazing and we need to be eating them. The average American gets about a tablespoon of leafy greens a day. So there's some room for improvement there. Okay. We need to eat a lot more green veggies and. There were all sorts of reasons for this, that already existed in the literature and mental health reasons were not at all on my radar. When I started this group challenge. We hadn't talked about that in my master's program. And all the research that I've been talking about in this episode by and large had not been published. At that point in time. But what I started to see year after year is that people would report that they felt happier. And this would happen about two to three weeks in. After the second or third year of this. I went to pub med and I found evidence that vegetables do in I appear to improve mood. And here with what these Canadian and American researchers have laid out with their antidepressant food scoring system is that those green vegetables are the ones that give us the brightest mood of all. It's still fucking blows my mind folks. I still like, this is why I love this field so much. I get to be. awestruck. All the time. It's amazing. Now, if you remember from last week's episode, some of the interventional work reports an increase in mood in just three to four weeks. It doesn't take forever to start to feel better. And the SMILES trial was 12 weeks long. That's three months, 31% of those participants achieved remission from a major depressive episode in three months. This is cool shit. This is promising as fuck. Like. This is worth a try. Unfortunately. No such equivalent food chart has been created for anxiety. Now, many of the same principles that. Support and anti-depression diet also work with anxiety. However, there are a couple things with regards to anxiety that I want to point out specifically. There are associations noted in the research between anxiety and gut issues. It's pretty well-documented at this point that people who have IBS or SIBO and for those of you unfamiliar with those acronyms that's irritable bowel syndrome or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. These folks do have a higher likelihood of living with anxiety than people who do not have gut issues. It's hypothesized that this is due to the back and forth conversation that occurs from the bacteria in the gut and the brain via the vagus nerve. This is known as the gut brain axis. As well as the downstream impact of inflammation in the gut. Then leading to inflammation in the brain as well. Because our gut produces so many of our neuro-transmitters are serotonin our dopamine, our GABA. It is a fundamental piece to address when dealing with mental health challenges, particularly with anxiety because of the strength of research in this area. A systematic review, pulled together a range of studies and found that regulating our gut microbiota through either diet or probiotics. Improved anxiety symptoms in over half of the studies that they reviewed. That's pretty big. This review examined 21 high quality studies involving a total of about 1500 people. Of those 1500 people, 56% of them saw an improvement in anxiety symptoms, whether the intervention was through probiotics or dietary changes, especially if that dietary change was a shift to a low FODMAP diet. That's a common dietary prescription that is utilized to reduce bacterial overgrowth in the gut. Now, when it comes to probiotics, I don't want you to get getting caught up in some of this hype on the internet about these fancy, specific strains that are shown in research to reduce anxiety or to reduce depression. This is the. Gosh, this is our. This is our collective addiction to wanting to keep things simple and wanting to take something as comprehensive as the human body and trying to make one solution, one strain, which is almost always patented mind you and only available through the company that is promoting it on your feed. But the reality is much more complex than this. And the research shows that various probiotic formulas, whether they be single strain or multi-strain are beneficial. The takeaway here is that probiotics work by addressing overall gut imbalances, which in turn can alleviate a whole host of issues beyond IBS or SIBO like anxiety or bloating or even skin and allergic conditions. However. Dietary interventions for anxiety like the low FODMAP diet. Are found at least. In this review of the literature. To be more effective than probiotics. Again, we're not going to be able to always supplement our way out of our health challenges. So before you reach for supplements, whether it's vitamin D or iron or magnesium or probiotics consider starting with your diet, it is a simple, often more inexpensive way to help manage your anxiety. Because of the strong link between anxiety and inflammation an anti-inflammatory diet is going to be paramount. Like the antidepressant diet, this means fewer processed foods, less sugars and artificial sweeteners and more vegetables, more fruits. More fish and more unprocessed grains. With respect to omega-3 fatty acids, EPA, and DHA specifically. Observational research shows low omega-3 fatty acid status in the blood is correlated with hiring anxiety levels. The strongest piece of evidence I found was a systematic review and meta analysis. And again, this is when a research group goes looking at all of the studies, tosses out the low quality ones, and then assesses the data from these studies to effectively look for whether or not there's strong evidence for a particular hypothesis. And this is kind of the gold standard that we have for, all of it really it's. It's stronger evidence-based than a single randomized controlled trial, certainly stronger evidence-based than observational studies. Right? When we look at the data collectively, we tease out the bullshit, throw it away, and then we analyze the data that those researchers did. Looking for that signal. Right? So, the researchers are basically a fact checking their colleagues and looking at what their peers have done and assessing it. All right. So this systematic review and meta analysis. Assessed 19 different clinical trials, which compiled a total of 2,240 participants from 11 different countries. And it showed that significant improvement in anxiety symptoms is possible with omega-3 fatty acids, supplementation compared to control groups. But here's the catch though. And God, this is why, this is why whenever there is a data analysis as well. It's so valuable. These researchers noted dosing matters. In clinical studies where less than two grams of omega three fatty acids a day were given to participants. It was not a significant reduction. It's not going to cut. It you'll recall. That was also shown in the depression focused research. Better results are achieved with two grams of omega three fatty acids a day. And if the supplement you're taking is skimping on the DHA. It is not as effective for relieving anxiety specifically. EPA heavy supplements with more than 60% of the total omega-3 fatty acids coming from EPA showed no significant effect and this systematic review and meta analysis. So, if you are taking fish oil caps specifically to alleviate anxiety, you want to look at the label and assess how much EPA and dHA is present in each capsule. With regards to food sources of omega-3 fatty acids while flax seeds and chia seeds are really high in omega-3 fats and walnuts look like these cute little brains that we just want to nibble on. These plant-based sources are mostly packed with an omega-3 fatty acid called alpha linolenic acid. That's known as by the acronym, ALA. ALA is the plant-based source of omega-3 fats. Your body has to convert that ALA into EPA and DHA to have the anti-inflammatory effects, the cardiovascular effects, the brain effects that we're looking for. But the human body is only able to do so at a measly 5% conversion rate. So, if you are serious about getting brain boosting, anxiety crushing omega three fatty acids, you want to stick with those SMASHT fish, the salmon, the mackerel, the anchovies, the sardines, the herring and trout. And speaking of salmon, it's a double whammy because it also is loaded with this antioxidant called astaxanthin. And that keeps omega threes from going rancid. And it even brings some additional neuroprotective perks to the table. I'm going to get even more nerdy, but stay with me. It's worth it. DHA does come in different forms. And just like the broader omega-3 fatty acids, not all of them work the same. There is a specific kind of DHA. Called ly. So FOSS. Fetal Coleen conjugated, DHA that is found in fish roe as well as krill oil. Now, this specific kind of DH, a basically has a VIP gold pass straight into your brain. Thanks to a transporter. Uh, protein at the blood-brain barrier. That it uses to access the brain. So this transportation system is especially helpful when your brain is inflamed, because sometimes inflammation can reduce absorption Of certain compounds. So if you're really looking to nourish your brain and calm your anxiety, krill oil, fish roe, and fatty fish is where it's at. I am so craving sushi right now. I cannot even tell you. Long story short. Oh, mega threes, especially the right kind and the right dose do have solid scientific backing for easing anxiety symptoms. And when it comes to food sources, go for the fatty fish or supplement with krill oil or fish oil. This is your best bet. Additionally curcumin or turmeric is also shown in some studies to alleviate anxiety to a degree. This would likely be due to anti-inflammatory mechanisms as turmeric is known to be a very effective anti-inflammatory just like omega three fatty acids. There was one study done on mice that showed that turmeric can actually increase the enzymes that their little mouse bodies use to convert. Omega-3 fatty acids into DHA. That was super interesting. So we don't yet know if this translates to humans. But when I read that, I was thinking it'd be kind of cool to make a turmeric dressing with flak soil instead of olive oil. And then you get these plant-based omega-3 fats, but then you get the turmeric, which at least if you fed it to your pet mouse would make them happier and less anxious. And you anyway, that's a great way to apply research to the real world. Even if it doesn't increase the enzymes that convert omega-3 fats into DHA in your brain. It is a nice anti-inflammatory antioxidant rich way to dress your salad. Who knew reading research could lead to new recipe formulations. Well, all of the literature on utilizing diet to alleviate depression and anxiety is still really new. And we definitely need more studies to solidify these findings and create even clearer recommendations. There are so many promising signals for anybody looking for natural ways to reduce their anxiety or depression. If you find that medication isn't working well for you, this is a great place to turn next. Now. To recap, everything I've discussed. And put all of this research into a. Semi specific action plan. First, if you have gut issues alongside your mental health struggles, it's worthwhile to address her gut health as well. The low FODMAP diet has the most research behind it as a treatment for IBS as well as CBO. It's a pretty complicated diet plan and is best implemented with a provider who can take the time to walk you through Uh, or at the very least help you transition out of it. That's where I find the real challenge lies for folks is getting themselves out of a low FODMAP diet and determining which foods specifically are problematic for them. Moving forward. For everyone. Consider a protein serving to be two decks of cards long. Ideally, this is eaten at least twice a day to ensure that you're meeting recommendations that are backed by more current research. And again, if you're active, if you're trying to lose weight, if you're over 40, you probably need more than this. Talk to a nutrition professional to dial in your specific needs. Hydration. You want to drink enough liquids and eat enough watery foods that your pee is the color of straw, a nice pale yellow, right. Also be sure to eat your green veggies every single day. Finally begin incorporating a source of omega-3 fats into your diet multiple times a week. Or try a dose of fish oil or krill oil. If anxiety is your primary concern at two to three grams after you have cleared that with the prescribing medical provider, if you're on any medications. Now, if you struggle with anxiety, DHA forward, omega-3 supplements. That have more DHA, then EPA are going to be important for you. Krill oil is also a good choice. Remember food sources overall are shown to be more effective in the literature than supplements. So keep that SMASHT acronym in mind. That's the gist of it, I remember as specific as these recommendations are, they're still pretty general guidelines. So your unique circumstances may require tweaks and adjustments in order for this to be sustainable or effective for you. What these recommendations pro guide are guidelines to improve your diet quality that align with what the research is suggesting, alleviates depression and anxiety. What we really need next is more studies implementing dietary protocols that are based off of this research that has been found using all the different things that we've been able to tease out as being supportive for a healthy mood. That said the guidelines that I've cobbled together are pretty safe to implement as part of a more comprehensive mental health plan. Some of you are still going to feel like, oh my God, how do I even do this? And I have some free resources for you. If you don't want to wait until next March to join my live group for free. Firstly, you can download the recipes that I created for the greens challenge. And start having a repertoire of green veggie focused recipes that I've personally tried and used in my own kitchen for years. There will be a link to that in the show notes. Second, you can go even deeper and do the greens challenge yourself as a DIY program. Online, that link is also in the show notes. Finally, if you really thrive on accountability or you need more personal support, you can reach out to me in the link below, set up a time to talk with me at no cost about what this could potentially look like for you. If you know, somebody who is struggling with depression or anxiety, please, please share this episode with them as well as last week's episode, where I discuss some of the reasons why these foods may impact depression and anxiety. We are all made better when we help one another. I wish you, well, I wish you health. I wish you happiness. Until next time, my Blasphemous buddies, continue to question the wellness orthodoxy and push those boundaries.