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We spend more time than we like to admit seeking happiness. We try new things like therapy, exercise routines and meditations to bring peace and joy into our lives. And when we think about the things that make us happy, our diet isn’t usually at the top of the list.
However, the foods we eat play a major role in how we feel. Studies linking nutrition and mental well-being have emerged in the past decade, and certain foods are associated with increased serotonin in our brains. Serotonin, also known as the « happy hormone, » is a chemical that plays an important role in regulating our mood. Low serotonin levels can cause mood instability.
For more mental health resources, try these simple ways to improve your mental health without therapy, and check out our list of ways to manage anxiety without medication. 7 foods that make you happy, according to science
Here are our favorite foods that make you happy.
You know the typical scene in movies where a girl sits on her couch in sweats, eating a tub of chocolate ice cream. Turns out Hollywood was on to something. A systematic review found that dark chocolate can positively affect one’s mood. There are three main components found in chocolate that are associated with the feeling of happiness: tryptophan, theobromine and phenylethylalanine. Tryptophan is an amino acid the brain uses to produce serotonin. Theobromine is a weak stimulant that can improve your mood. Meanwhile, phenylethylalanine is another amino acid used by the body to produce dopamine, which acts as an antidepressant.
If there were ever such a thing as « good mood food, » bananas are probably it. But maybe not in the way you think they are. Although bananas contain serotonin, it is unable to cross the blood-brain barrier (think of the BBB as a wall that filters what can and cannot enter our bloodstream and make its way to our brains). But bananas can play a crucial role in regulating your mood in a more indirect way.
