Food as Nature’s Mood Machine

Food can either be a poison or it can be nature’s medicine. It depends on the types and sources of foods you choose to eat. All food is made up of macronutrients (protein, fats, and carbohydrates) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), as well as water and fiber. As your food gets broken down into its various nutrients, these molecules enter your bloodstream and are used to assemble chemicals and tissues within your body. Certain nutrients are used to manufacture neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine, which stabilize your moods. Others bathe your cells and activate or deactivate certain genes that regulate everything from your appetite to your predilection for depression or other diseases.