If you're suffering from mood depression, you're not alone. It's become so widespread that everyone, will at some time in their life be affected by depression -- their own or someone else's, according to statistics.

Why are so many suffering from mood depression?

It has much to do with our modern lifestyle.

Beating your own mood depression first begins with taking a look at your food choices. Today, our food has become stripped of nutrition. In the hopes of making food last longer and be ready faster, we have stripped our food of the most essential nutrients. Depression, anxiety, or memory problems are caused by a deficiency in vitamins and minerals most commonly, one of the B complex vitamins. Deficiencies of thiamine (vitamin B1), niacin, pyridoxine (B6), or cobalamin (B12) sometimes produce mental or emotional problems, including depression. To beat your mood depression, start supplementing your diet with these missing vitamins. (Ronald Pies, M.D. WebMD, 1997).

A diet high in Omega 6 fatty acids (a junk food diet) is usually the first problem. Omega-6 fatty acids, found in everything from margarine and ice cream to snack foods such as potato chips, have replaced the healthy omega-3 fats. As a result, you can damage your levels of happy brain chemicals - serotonin and dopamine. (Low serotonin is linked to mood depression, the risk of suicide, and violent and impulsive behaviors. Dopamine is crucial to decision-making.) (Dr. Hibbiln, National Institutes of Health, 2001).

Too much unhealthy junk food is causing severe disruptions in serotonin levels, producing mood depression, anger, violence and suicidal behaviors. These problems can even by transmitted by a mother to her developing fetus. When children and youth eat junk food, the brain may be permanently altered. Comparing the increase in murder rates to the increased rate of unhealthy oils in the diets of 38 industrialized countries, we find a perfect match. (Hibbeln JR: "Seafood consumption and homicide mortality." World Rev Nutr Diet 85:41- 46).

What should you eat to help beat mood depression?

Consuming fruits and vegetables (complex carbohydrates) raises the level of trytophan in your brain that triggers an increase of serotonin which has a calming effect. High protein foods, promote the production of dopamine and norepineprine, which promote alertness. You should also drink plenty of water to dilute uric acid. (Kris-Etherton P, Eckel RH, Howard BV, St. Jeor S, Bazzare TL. "AHA Science Advisory: Lyon Diet Heart Study. Benefits of a Mediterranean-style Dietary Pattern on Cardiovascular Disease. Circulation 2001;103:1823)

So, to beat mood depression, take care to avoid foods high in sugar which are usually also high in Omega 6 fats. Instead eat a diet rich in fruits and veggies which calm you and eat a diet rich in protein which makes you more alert and drink plenty of water.

There is hope! You are worth it!

Merri Ellen