Can you blame your bad mood on your food? New research says yes. That’s because soil levels of selenium – an antioxidant micronutrient involved in over 400 biochemical functions – are greatly depleted. And because foods grown in that soil are coming up seriously short in selenium.
Selenium is required for the proper function of the thyroid, which plays an important role in mood and behavior. As a result, people with a selenium deficiency may have an increased risk for depression.
A recent study published in the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Journal found a connection between mood and selenium intake. Benefits of selenium intake were sseen when men who boosted their intake of dietary selenium to 220 mcg daily felt less anxious and more energetic, pleasant, and confident. And those with the most selenium in their blood felt the best. What’s more, the men in the study who initially had the lowest moods saw the biggest improvement.
Put a smile on your face and get your fill of this mood booster. Brazil nuts are the richest food source of selenium. In fact, just one Brazil nut – if you buy it shelled and crack it yourself – averages 100 mcg. (A Brazil nut that you buy already shelled averages 12-25 mcg.) Other excellent sources of selenium include button mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, cod, shrimp, snapper, tuna, halibut, calf liver, and salmon.
[Ed. Note: Kelley Herring is the founder and CEO of Healing Gourmet and the author of the new e-book, Guilt-Free Desserts: 20 All-Natural, Fail-Proof, Low-Glycemic Desserts Just in Time for the Holidays. Learn more about how simple lifestyle choices can improve your health by reading ETR’s free natural health e-letter.]
Similar Articles:
- Does Feeling Good Make You Exercise? – It’s been established that exercise can enhance your mood. But does being in a good mood incre…
- A Supplement All Men Should Take for a Healthy Prostate – Selenium is an essential mineral and a powerful antioxidant. Your body needs it to: Maintain healthy…
- There Is More to Brazil Than Carnival – As the U.S. economy continues to struggle, investors are looking abroad for investment opportunities…
- Fight Breast Cancer With This B Vitamin – Last year, nearly 180,000 women were diagnosed with breast cancer. But getting enough of a certain B…
- Impassible – “Impassible” (im-PAS-uh-bul) – from the Latin – means (1) not showing feeling or (2) incapable of su…
- Saffron – The Spice That Makes You Smile – The gentle waft of simmering bouillabaisse certainly puts a smile on my face. But the delightful aro…
- Obesity and the Brain: The Exercise Connection – For years, conventional wisdom has been that exercise helps control weight by simply burning calorie…