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Essay about Food and Ingredients that Affect Human Mood

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Hormones are not the only things that affect someone’s mood, the food we eat and what nutrients or vitamins they contain can also determine how one feels. Just like how certain foods are healthier than others, some help mood more than others. There are many ingredients that can determine a good or bad mood and they can be found in many people’s kitchens because they are commonly used. Some ingredients that help improve mood are protein, dopamine, and resveratrol. Protein stabilizes blood sugar and sustains energy which increases a person’s mood. Some sources of protein to eat would be cheese, carrots and humus or an apple with almond butter. Besides protein dopamine helps mood and can be found in bananas. Bananas contain 10 milligrams …show more content…

Opioid also helps treat pains that may not be contained with other medication because the pain might be too severe (Opioid). Since opioid levels can be increased by chocolate, people may argue that chocolate itself can diminish pain causing chocolate to be a main comfort food since it helps boost mood when the pain is gone. Chocolate also contains tryptophan which when consumed can increase production levels of serotonin which has shown better mood, calmness and relaxation. Serotonin can also equalize hormones in woman’s body particularly when they are most likely to be unbalanced during her period. Studies have shown that when serotonin amounts are higher, such as after eating chocolate, mood swings are less likely to be a problem (Does a Chunk of Chocolate a Day Keep Mood Swings at Bay). A study shown in Psychology Today showed if one’s mood could be improved by eating chocolate infused with “good intention”. The study showed that those who ate the ounce of chocolate today, recommended serving size, did have an increase of mood and those who did not regularly eat chocolate improved more as well (Hayssen). Other nutritious substances are iron, folate, omega-3 fats and B vitamins and these can not only enhance mood but energy and memory as well. Eating enough iron which can be found in green leafy vegetables, lean red meat, breakfast cereals and wholegrain bread can increase mood especially if body doesn’t have enough. There was a study done in the

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