14 DAY TRIAL // The chemical called valproic acid is known to people who are taking drugs such as Depakene, Depakote and Stavzor in order to control their mood swings. In a new study, experts at the National Autonomous University of Mexico found that good food has a similar effect on improving mood.
The neural pathways, sensations and moods that valproic acid influences are also activated and moderated following food intake, the Mexican research team explains. The work was led by NAUM Chemistry Institute expert Karina Martinez-Mayorga, PhD.
The expert, previously based at the Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies, calls the similarities between valproic acid and food, in terms of their influence on the human brain, “striking.”
According to the research group, the most beneficial effects were observed as deriving from molecules usually found in chocolate, from foods that are very rich in omega-3 fatty acids, and from a particular variety of berries. All were found to have a very positive effect on controlling mood.
Martinez-Mayorga explains that valproic acid is generally used to address mood swings in people suffering from maniac-depressive disorders, or similar conditions. She presented the new study at a recent meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS).
“The large body of evidence that chemicals in chocolate, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, teas and certain foods could well be mood-enhancers encourages the search for other mood modulators in food,” the team leader adds, quoted by PsychCentral.
She explains that further chemical studies of food could allow the research group to identify the specific chemicals in food that are responsible for maintaining cognitive health, improving mental alertness and mood, and delaying the onset of neural degradation and memory loss.
However, she draws attention to the fact that chemical drugs may at times be irreplaceable. “It is important to remember that just eating foods that may improve mood is not a substitute for prescribed antidepressive drugs,” Martinez-Mayorga explains.
Her research group now plans to test the flavor/mood hypothesis experimentally. If their work is successful, its results could be materialized in new types of food supplements or dietary recommendations that may contribute to improving mood and health in the general population.