Foods That Destroy Post-Menopausal Depression and Which Ones to Avoid

Photo credit: Max Sat

So you've made it through menopause. Perhaps without depression, and maybe even without severe mood changes. What most people don't know, however, is that the risks of developing mood problems and depression do not necessarily diminish after menopause.This dangerous misconception makes it difficult to differentiate the signs of hormonal changes from signs of depression.

The risk for depression is high among post-menopausal women, even those with no prior history of depression.


Why? The decrease in estrogen that occurs after menopause is believed to be a contributing factor in post-menopausal depression. When you combine that with poor diet, your chance of getting post-menopausal depression skyrockets.

If you have signs of post-menopausal depression, or want to decrease your risk of getting it, you'll want to start now by swapping your junk food with foods that fight depression. (Who knew food could fight depression, right?)

Lets start with the foods you should avoid in order to stave off post-menopausal depression

1. Refined Food
According to research, post-menopausal women who consume refined foods have an increased risk for depression.

  
Carbohydrates, refined grains, and refined sugars are mass-consumed. White bread and white rice, for example, are staple foods in most households. If you want to lower your risk of depression or improve your symptoms, you need to tweak your diet. Start by cutting out the harmful foods that contribute to depression and replace them with real food that nourishes.

 Alternatives to Refined Foods

To cut back on the refined foods you consume, start by incorporating healthier alternatives into your diet.

Refined white flour, including enriched wheat flour should be replaced with whole-wheat flour, bulgur, or cracked wheat. Additionally, try almond flour/almond meal for an interesting, healthier alternative to refined flour.

Refined grains, including corn meal and white rice: Replace all refined grains with whole-grain only. Choose whole cornmeal and whole oats that still contain their endosperm, bran, and germ.

Refined sugar and sweeteners like corn syrup, cane juice, brown rice syrup: Incorporate honey or maple syrup when you need sweetener, and avoid the rest. Note: Agave is not a healthy sweetener, despite its trendiness, but that's a topic for a whole 'nother post.

 2. High glycemic index foods cause depression, mood changes, and fatigue.

This is due to the hormonal reaction that these high glycemic foods create. Hormones play an enormous role in our mood and energy levels, so you'll want to avoid foods high on the glycemic index scale that further throw them out of balance.


High glycemic foods are those that affect your blood sugar levels. Some examples of foods that are high on the glycemic index are sweets, ice cream, corn, and refined carbs like white bread.  

Foods with a glycemic index of 70 or higher are considered "high glycemic." You can find the glycemic index rating of any particular food here.

Source: Pain Pix

 According to studies --  including the one that linked refined foods to an increased risk of depression --  you may have some control where depression is concerned.

      Let's look at the foods that fight depression

1. Lactose, vegetables, non-fruit juice, and fiber
Post-menopausal women who consumed more lactose, vegetables, non-juice fruit, and fiber significantly lowered their risk for depression, according to the same study as mentioned previously.

Source: Honolulu Media

Lactose


Lactose is found in milk, but it's also added to other food products. Make sure you only consume organic, hormone and antibiotic-free milk.


Antioxidants
Oxidative stress in the brain is associated with mild to moderate depression, especially in the elderly, so choose foods that have a high antioxidant profile.

Fruits like bananas and blueberries are rich in fiber and antioxidants -- both of which help promote mental health. 

Cranberries, blueberries, and blackberries are rich sources of antioxidants. Sea buck thorn berries are also high in antioxidants and rich in vitamin C, plus a host of other vitamins and minerals.

When it comes to choosing the best fruits for fighting post-menopausal depression, aim for vibrant yellow and orange colored fruits, and berries that are deep hues of blue and red.


Vegetables
Leafy greens like red and green leaf lettuce, kale, chard, romaine, and collard greens contain phytochemicals (an important antioxidant) and fiber. These help provide your brain and body with the vitamins and minerals required for good mental health.

Russet potatoes, beans, and artichoke are good vegetable-sources for antioxidants

Fish
Studies found that a diet high in fish reduces the risk of depression by 17%.

There's been conflicting information regarding the benefit of fish for depression, so researchers performed a meta-analysis of 26 relevant studies involving 150,278 participants. Using the Egger's test and funnel plot to eradicate the possibility of publication bias, the evaluation concluded that the evidence is legitimate -- Fish decreases the risk of depression in both males and females.

Choose salmon (wild caught only) and you'll get the depression-fighting omega-3's plus a dose of selenium. An alternative to food that swims would be chia seeds and flax seeds as they both contain omega-3's.

Why Selenium?
The mineral selenium not only helps decrease the symptoms of depression, but it also acts as an antioxidant, so make sure your diet contains plenty of it. Beans, brown rice, and seafood (like clams and oysters) are a few sources of selenium.


Last but not least... Get Some D
No good article on depression should omit the importance of vitamin D, even though this is far from a comprehensive list of foods that help fight depression. Make sure you're getting enough sunlight and vitamin D3 if you're deficient, like most people.

For more ways to improve the symptoms of depression and prevention please subscribe and stay tuned for my upcoming series to learn what vitamins, minerals, and foods are necessary to kick depression's butt.

Do you have any anti-depressant tips to share? What has or hasn't worked for you

Sources: 
1. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 2016; 70:299-304 doi:10.1136/jech-2015-206278      Fang Li, Xiaoqin Liu, Dongfeng Zhang 
2.   The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Gangwisch et al., 2015). June 24, 2015, doi: 10.3945/ ajcn.114.103846 ajcn103846