Natural Antioxidants And Folate Appears To Reduce Depression

Have you ever thought that the food you eat and don’t eat may contribute to the development of frustration, anxiety, or depression? Mounting evidence indicates oxidative stress can play a major role in the development of psychiatric disorders like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression.^[1]

The brain uses up to fifty percent of the body’s fuel,^[2] which can lead to the brain being bombarded with free radicals and oxidative stress as a result of the fuel burning process.

The fuel burning process produces free radicals that have an unpaired electron. They are highly reactive molecules that allow them to easily steal an electron from brain cells they come in contact with to pair their unpaired electron. This ends up damaging brain cells electrons were stolen from and may contribute to neuropsychiatric disorders.

Oxidative stress occurs when the body cannot efficiently neutralize free radicals, resulting in numerous damaged cells. The body produces antioxidants to neutralize free radicals, but often this production is not enough and antioxidants from food are needed to assist the neutralization process.

So maybe frustration, anxiety, or depression is not triggered or only triggered by perception of a situation, and is triggered by lack of antioxidants in the food consumed?

In a study of 300,000 Canadians, the higher consumption of fruits and vegetables was associated with lower rates of depression. Another study^[3] of 2000 U.S. citizens showed the higher the blood carotenoid (antioxidant) level the lower the likelihood of depressive symptoms. There was a dose-responsive relationship and the higher the carotenoid level the better people felt.

Low folate levels are also associated with depression and have been implicated in the impaired formation of myelin and neurotransmitters,^[4] which interferes with normal transmission of electrical activity across nerves and neurons.

The association between high levels of antioxidants and folate and the reduction of symptoms of depression only existed with antioxidants and folate form food. The relationship was not found for the use of antioxidant and folate supplements. Plant based foods are great sources of antioxidants, and leafy greens like kale and beans like garbanzo beans are great sources of folate.