Bipolar affective disorder is a complex mental illness in which patients may experience extreme emotional states of depression and mania. However, bipolar disorder is not an incurable condition.
If you have been actively cooperating with your doctor for standardized treatment, but your condition has not improved or worsened, it is necessary to exclude factors that may greatly reduce the efficacy of the medication, such as whether your diet is appropriate.
It is important to note that some daily foods, when eaten appropriately more, can improve symptoms of bipolar affective disorder, while overeating some daily foods can worsen the symptoms of bipolar affective disorder.
Patients with bipolar disorder should eat more of the following 5 types of food
The following 5 types of foods help improve symptoms of bipolar affective disorder, and you can eat more of them in your daily meals~
1. Grains
As a northerner, the editor eats grains in all three meals.
Common foods include rice, flour, corn, millet, buckwheat, oats, black rice, and so on.
Research has shown that eating whole grains can increase the content of serotonin in the body. Serotonin is an important neurotransmitter involved in various physiological functions such as emotional regulation, behavior management, and maintenance of sleep cycles. For example, it can relieve anxiety, adjust healthy sleep patterns, which is very important for the recovery of bipolar affective disorder.
2. Fish
We all know that Omega-3 fatty acids in fish, especially docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), play an important role in brain development and also have a significant impact on mental health.
In recent years, some studies have shown that it can help alleviate depressive symptoms of bipolar affective disorder, but the improvement effect on manic symptoms is not significant.
Nevertheless, patients with bipolar affective disorder can still add foods rich in this nutrient to their diet.
Tuna, cod, salmon, octopus, sardines, herring, and rainbow trout are all good choices.
If you don’t eat fish, you can also get it from foods such as flaxseeds and walnuts.
3. Foods rich in selenium
Selenium is an essential trace element for the body, and it plays a very important role in maintaining normal brain function, including enzyme activity, cellular oxidation processes, brain signaling, and neurotransmitter functions. It is an important “regulator” of emotions that can alleviate negative emotions such as depression, anxiety, improve life quality.
In the food we commonly eat, Brazil nuts, tuna, sardines, shrimp, brown rice, eggs, etc. are all rich in selenium.
4. Foods rich in tryptophan
Tryptophan is an essential amino acid for the human body, and it is the “raw material” for the body to produce serotonin. Just now, serotonin is very important in regulating emotions, anxiety, sleep, and other functions.
Therefore, patients with bipolar affective disorder should also eat some foods rich in tryptophan appropriately, such as milk, chicken, tuna, tofu, eggs, oats, nuts, etc.
5. Foods with probiotics
Studies have shown that adding probiotics to the diet can have anti-inflammatory effects and may be beneficial to our “gut-brain axis”.
The “gut-brain axis” is a pathway composed of the gastrointestinal tract and the central nervous system that can transmit information bidirectionally. Through this axis, gut microbes can “remote control” the brain through pathways such as the neuroendocrine system, immune response, and the gut nervous system, thereby affecting our emotions and cognitive functions.
Research results also show that supplementing probiotics can reduce manic symptoms in patients with bipolar affective disorder and reduce the likelihood of readmission.
So which foods contain probiotics?
Fermented foods often contain “natural probiotics”, such as yogurt, tofu, miso, and pickled vegetables, but we still recommend consuming yogurt or probiotic supplements, as the latter foods contain some “unhealthy components”, it is best to eat them sparingly.
Now that we know about the foods that help improve symptoms of bipolar affective disorder, let’s take a look at —
4 types of foods that patients with bipolar affective disorder should avoid
In addition to coffee, tea, and alcohol, the following 4 types of foods can also worsen the symptoms of bipolar affective disorder, and patients with bipolar affective disorder should eat less or avoid these foods.
1. Foods rich in tyramine
Patients with bipolar affective disorder who are taking monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) should avoid foods rich in tyramine.
Because monoamine oxidase inhibitors can reduce the metabolism of tyramine, leading to a large accumulation of tyramine in our bodies, which can cause adverse reactions such as a sudden increase in blood pressure, headaches, nausea, vomiting, sweating, etc.
Therefore, those who are taking monoamine oxidase inhibitors should avoid eating the following foods rich in tyramine:
● Cheese
● Pickled, processed, and smoked meats
● Broad beans, lima beans
● Raisins, dried apricots, and prunes
● Fermented and pickled foods like sauerkraut, pickles, pickled vegetables, etc.
2. High sugar foods
Although high sugar foods can give us temporary pleasure, if they frequently appear in your diet, they can increase inflammation in our bodies, thereby worsening depressive symptoms in patients with bipolar affective disorder.
In addition, excessive sugar intake can also lead to obesity, and obesity may reduce the effectiveness of treatment for bipolar affective disorder and prolong the course of the disease.
Therefore, patients with bipolar affective disorder should eat less or avoid high sugar foods, including fruit/meat snacks, honey citron tea, cakes, bread, etc., these seemingly healthy foods actually belong to the sugar-rich category.
3. Ultra-processed foods
Chips, french fries, cookies, cakes, muffins, and donuts are all processed foods.
Ultra-processed foods often have characteristics of high calories, high fat, high sugar, and low micronutrients, low dietary fiber, eating large amounts of them over the long term can lead to excessive caloric intake and weight gain, and overweight can affect the prognosis of bipolar affective disorder.
Studies have also shown that eating large amounts of ultra-processed foods for a long time can increase the risk of depression and anxiety, which is not conducive to disease recovery.
Well, that’s all about food, if patients with bipolar disorder incorporate each category of food mentioned above into their three meals while receiving standardized treatment, they may have some unexpected gains~
References:
[1] https://psychcentral.com/bipolar/bipolar-diet
[2] https://www.verywellmind.com/bipolar-diet-foods-to-eat-and-avoid-5649420#citation-22
[3] Su Xin Xin, Chen Yanjun, Lin Shaoling, Zeng Shaoxiao. Research Progress on the Impact of Ultra-processed Foods on Human Health[J]. China Food and Nutrition, 2022, 28(10):26-34.
[4] Zhang Ronghua, Fang Yiru. Regulating Emotions with “Selenium” to Alleviate Depression and Anxiety[J]. Popular Medicine, 2008, 000(002):38.
[5] Liu Yang. Exploring a Novel Diagnostic Strategy for the “Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis” — Hu Shaohua Team, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine[J]. Technology Management and Research, 2022(11):2.
