How Diet Affects Depression

3. Gut Microbiota

One of the fastest-growing areas of research indicates that a person’s gut microbiota can affect their cognitive function, behavior, and neuropsychiatric conditions. Because the gut microbiome is the first system to interact with food, it may also affect other causes of depression, like inflammation.

Foods rich in prebiotics and probiotics appear to reduce stress-induced changes in the gut and improve depression symptoms. Fermented choices like yogurt, kimchi, and sauerkraut are probiotic sources, while prebiotics are available in a range of fruits and vegetables, from asparagus to yams.