Posted by linkadge on January 17, 2020, at 16:03:57
In reply to Re: I knew spicy foods helped my depression » linkadge, posted by phidippus on January 17, 2020, at 12:29:00
>No, I'm saying scrutinizing your mood after eating >spicy foods is not an accurate way of gauging >whether you are depressed
I'm not trying to 'gauge' whether or not I'm depressed. I am spending hundreds of dollars a month out of pocket on standard medications (no insurance) to treat a mental health problem. I would have to have a mental health problem to be spending that kind of money (on a presumed mental health problem) if I didn't have a mental health problem (which, of course, is parodioxcal). Coffee is considered a 'food product'. However, for me its consumption leads to a rapid (albeit moderate and temporary) improvement in my mood. Similarly, I noticed (anecdotally) that I felt an improvement in my mood (of course not remission) after eating a generous quantity of spicy food. I then looked up different ingredients and found that yes, in fact there could be a mechanism by which spicy food (capsaicin in particular) could influence mood. I also then saw that there was some overlap in the actions of capsaicin and cannabis (another 'plant' substance which has a very rapid acting effect on my mood). As we know with 'fast acting' antidepressants, an antidepressant response does not (necessarily) need to take weeks or months.
Another example of a food product with antidepressant effects is the spice saffron. Google 'saffron for depression' if you are interested. Lots of recent research. It acts as a triple reuptake inhibitor. Turmeric and quercetin are monoamine oxidase inhibitors. Peppermint / menthol is a dopamine reuptake inhibitor.
I am not trying to 'prove anything'. However, I'm not sure if your logic holds. I.e. that there are no food products that can cause acute changes to mood. Again, coffee (which has a documented anti-suicide effect) does (or at least can) in fact have acute effects on mood).
Linkadge
poster:linkadge
thread:1107864
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20200104/msgs/1108004.html