The Mood-Boosting Superfoods

If you’re feeling gloomy, it’s time to grab an avocado, green tea or even chocolate. Research shows that getting the right nutrients over time can improve mood, tame stress, and even help fight depression. 

Chocolate

Rich in antioxidants, eating a little dark chocolate could brighten up a dark mood. In a study done at the Nestlé Research Center in Switzerland, researchers found that eating a little dark chocolate (1.4 ounces of it, to be exact) every day for two weeks reduced the levels of cortisol and other stress hormones in people who were highly stressed.

Avocado

Avocados are packed full with the goodness needed to lift your mood and brighten your day. Rich in fibre, niacin, vitamin C, omega-3 and folate, avocados are known to help you fight stress and ward off anxiety. The unsaturated fats found in avocados may help keep inflammation at bay and reduce blood pressure too.

Yogurt & Other Probiotics 

Recent studies in both animals and humans suggest links between balanced gut bacteria and better mood, less stress and anxiety, and lower risk of depression. 

Green Tea

Sipping a cup of tea is soothing to the senses and calming to the nerves. Green tea is rich is L-theanine, an amino acid that helps fight anxiety. According to a Japanese study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, drinking two to three cups of green tea a day was linked to reduced depression symptoms in elderly people.