Traditionally, comfort food refers to a meal that improves your mood and gives you a heightened sense of well-being, at least while you’re eating it. This includes foods like biscuits and gravy, fried chicken, beef tips with mushrooms, mashed potatoes – things that most people truly enjoy eating. You can improve your mood with food, but the large amounts of calories and fat they include are detrimental to our long-term health.

In 1999, the medical journal Public Health Nutrition published the results of a study finding that so-called “comfort foods” create positive feelings and acutely improve your mood by causing your brain to release endorphins, the same feel-good chemicals released during exercise. However, endorphins only create a temporary improvement in mood. New studies are indicating how certain nutrients can boost your mood in the long term.

Multiple Studies Show that the Right Food can Boost Your Mood

A number of recent studies are giving a whole new meaning to the term “comfort food” and confirm that you really can improve your mood with food. All internal organs require nutrients for optimal functioning, and the brain is an internal organ just like the heart or kidneys. Without proper nutrition, both our physical and mental health will suffer. So far, researchers have identified three key nutrients required for maintaining a positive mood in the long run: folate, magnesium and thiamine.

In 2009, the medical journal Nutrition Reviews published a study indicating that up to 38% of individuals suffering from depression also had a folate deficiency. The body uses folate in the production of neurotransmitters, which stabilize your mood.

A 2006 study published in the scientific journal Medical Hypotheses proved that magnesium is crucial to long-term mental health as well, with findings that even suggested the nutrient could cure depression. During the study, subjects with major depression were given a magnesium supplement three times daily. After only a week, many of the subjects had completely recovered from their symptoms. The researchers decided that a magnesium deficiency could damage the neurons of the brain, subsequently leading to depressed symptoms.

The aforementioned Public Health Nutrition trial also examined the relationship between thiamine and mood. In a series of double-blind tests, it was determined that study participants with higher thiamine levels were happier than those in the control group. Meanwhile, those with thiamine deficiencies displayed symptoms of irritability, muscle weakness, and even depression and anorexia.

Foods with Mood-Boosting Nutrients

In order to avoid nutrient deficiencies that could lead to signs of low-mood and depression, nutritionists suggest the following foods:

• For magnesium, focus on foods such as cocoa powder, pumpkin seeds and wheat bran.

• For thiamine, make sure you eat plenty of kidney beans, macadamia nuts, pistachios and sesame seeds.

• For folate, the best sources include lentils and kidney beans. Other folate sources collard greens, kale, spinach and other leafy greens.

Improve Your Mood With Food: The Bottom Line

If you’ve been feeling down in the dumps lately, your diet may be to blame. A number of recent studies have linked nutrient deficiencies, particularly magnesium, thiamine and folate, with depression and other mental health conditions.

Eating a balanced diet rich in foods such as lentils, kidney beans, leafy greens and various seeds and nuts should alleviate these deficiencies. However, those experiencing signs of major depression should always consult a medical professional.