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Chicken, game, onions and leeks
are particularly good brain-boosting
ingredients, a report reveals.
As health industry bosses take part
in Depression AwarenessWeek (April
14-18), Stir It Up magazine looks at
food to put a smile on your face.
A staggering one in five Britons will
suffer from depression during their life
but, according to the latest research,
anti-depressant drugs don’t work.
Depression thrives on foods high in
sugar, starch and salt - because they
provide a ‘quick hit’ of mood-stabilising
serotonin to the brain.
People who suffer from depression
naturally produce less serotonin than
those who don’t, and the theory is
they are ‘self-medicating’ with food.
Negative foods include chips,
hamburgers, bread, fatty meats, fry-ups,
cakes, sugary pies and sweet drinks.
Although these foods initially boost
serotonin levels, taken excessively, the
levels dramatically drop leading to
depression, carbohydrate cravings,
sleep disturbances and irritability.
Other symptoms include dizziness,
severe sweating (especially at night),
poor concentration, forgetfulness,
excessive thirst and blurred vision.
According to the Depression Alliance,
Britain’s biggest charity for the illness,
sufferers should eat green salads,
vegetables, especially onions and
leeks, and all the fruits. Fish, game and
chicken cooked in olive oil and served
hot or cold are also excellent choices.
A spokeswoman for the charity said:
“Food has a direct link to depression,
and it affects more of us than
people imagine.
“More than two million people in
the UK are diagnosed as having
depression at any one time, with the
World Health Organisation predicting
that it will be second only to heart
disease as the biggest global health”
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