March’s food of the month is: asparagus!
A springtime vegetable, asparagus is another vegetable that is loaded with vitamins and minerals that help improve emotional health symptoms. Here’s a quick rundown of this minerals in this super food.
Asparagus is full of folic acid which has very strong protective factors against low mood and anxiety. By promoting the production of properly functioning red blood cells, the brain receives an adequate supply of oxygen thus countering the effects fatigue and depression. In addition, folic acid is necessary to produce serotonin which is also essential for fighting depressive symptoms. Folic acid is most effective when it is combined with Vitamin C, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12, two of which are present in high quantities in asparagus.
Vitamin C is known to repair the adrenal glands that secrete adrenaline, after experiencing acute stress. For people who experience chronic stress, Vitamin C helps strengthen the glands and can improve feelings of fatigue. This vitamin is also needed to create a neurotransmitter called norepinephrine which is necessary for concentration, focus and to feel energetic and alert. For these reasons, Vitamin C is the go-to vitamin to combat symptoms of depression and stress.
Asparagus is also high in Vitamin B6, which is essential for a healthy nervous system. People with a Vitamin B6 deficiency often experience irritability, depressive symptoms such as low mood and fatigue, stress and poor memory. While the direction of causality is unknown, research has shown a strong connection between depression and a vitamin 6 deficiency. By eating a diet rich in this vitamin, the body is able to convert tryptophan into serotonin which can improve mood, stress and memory.
Finally, asparagus is a good source of zinc, a mineral that has countless mental health benefits. For one, zinc deficiencies have been repeatedly identified in people living with depression and other mood disorders, which indicates that there is a correlation between the two. In general, zinc is used to regulate mood swings, reduce fatigue and confusion, increase appetite, improve motivation and reduce incidences of having a blank mind.
With these mental health benefits and numerous other physical health benefits, asparagus is a vegetable you will not want to leave out of your diet!