As you age, you mind also ages. Your body needs nutrients,
so does your mind. Your mind is not very different from your body. The only
difference is that you can see your body, but you cannot see your mind.
The physical conditions of your nervous and immune systems
can influence your mental health; likewise, the state of your mental health can
directly affect your physical well-being. Your body does not function
independently of your mind. Therefore, mental health is critical to your
overall physical well-being; it is the foundation of being younger for longer.
Your body changes with aging; your organs and body systems
become limited in their normal functioning. However, such limitations generally
result from disease, not aging; for example, confusion and disorientation are
not the normal consequences of aging; they are more disease-related.
Depression not only can slow down an individual but also
make that individual look and feel older. Dr.
Harry Prosen, M.D. says, “Some people who are chronically depressed can
look very old and have stooped shoulders, furrowed lines around the eyes, and
all the other things that make a person looked aged I’ve seen some depressed
people who look like they’re in their sixties when they’re actually 35 or 40.”
The reason is that depression causes decreased muscle tone, contributing to sad
facial expressions and poor posture, such as stooped shoulders.
In addition, depression reduces the immune cell activity,
leading to a lowered immune response. According to Dr. George Kaplan, an
epidemiologist, depression can cause coronary heart disease due to the buildup
of fatty deposits in artery walls. Rheumatoid arthritis is also another disease
that may be triggered by depression.
Furthermore, depression may cause memory loss, which may
affect your mental health. Memory problems often interfere with your daily
living, causing frustration and undermining self-confidence. Remember, as you
continue to age, depression and memory loss may become more prevalent, and your
body’s capability to manufacture and absorb vitamins may also deteriorate.
Therefore, it is important to supplement any deficiency.
Your diet may play an important role in your mental
health: what you put into your mouth affects your mind as much as it does your
body.
The important minerals
Magnesium
According to Dr.
James D. Gordon of Georgetown University School of Medicine, depression
could be due to problems in the thyroid. Nutrient deficiency, such as magnesium
deficiency, could be a result of thyroid dysfunction.
Magnesium is a youth-preserving mineral. As you age, your
magnesium level declines due to poor absorption and inadequate diet.
Magnesium is responsible for neurotransmission
abnormalities, in addition to its implications in diabetes, osteoporosis, heart
disease, and thyroid dysfunction.
Magnesium is found in whole grains, nuts, seeds, and
legumes. An anti-depression healthy diet should be rich in magnesium.
If necessary, take a magnesium supplement of 200-300 mg to
remedy your nutrient deficiency.
Calcium
Calcium is an important component of a diet for a healthy
mind. According to a study, depressed individuals with suicidal inclination
show lower levels of calcium and magnesium.
Many Americans are short of meeting the recommended
calcium intake. To help solve the calcium crisis, an array of calcium-fortified
foods and beverages flood the consumer market, from juices, drinks, cereals,
snacks to dairy foods. However, use of calcium-fortified foods is not the same
as a healthy diet with foods that are naturally rich in calcium. Exceeding the
safety limit of “tolerable upper intake level” of 2,500 mg calcium per day may
have negative effects on other nutrients, such as iron, zinc, and magnesium.
Omega 3 fatty acids
Omega 3 fatty acids
are an essential ingredient in brain structure and functioning: about 30 to 35
percent of your brain is made up omega 3 fatty acids. Research has shown that
nutrient deficiency of omega 3 fatty acids contributes to de-stabilizing moods
in bipolar depression.
Salmon and sardines are particularly rich in omega 3 fatty
acids. Include them in your healthy diet.
Always buy “fresh wild salmon” not their “farm-raised”
counterparts. According to several studies, concentrations of several
cancer-causing substances are high enough to suggest that consumers should
consider restricting their consumption of farm-raised salmon. A healthy
diet should avoid farm-raised fish as much as possible.
Not all fish are created equal. Sardines are made from
many different species of fish. Sardines are particularly rich in Omega 3 fatty
acids, which help fight depression, breast cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s
disease, and inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative
colitis, and Crohn’s disease. Due to their small size, the mercury content in
sardines is negligible, as compared to other larger predatory fish such as
shark, swordfish, and king mackerel. Make sure that your sardines are free of
additives or preservatives. Kosher certification is always a good stamp of
approval, as it means that the product meets stringent quality requirements.
Include sardines in your healthy diet.
Copyright© by Stephen Lau
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