What you eat affects your mood, scientists say (2024)

You are what you eat, emotionally speaking.

A new report published in Nutritional Neuroscience looked at the link between food and mood in adults, and discovered that eating red meat and poultry were found to boost younger adults’ moods. Meanwhile, those over 30 years old need fruits — and their array of anti-oxidants — to stay in good spirits.

It’s not the deliciousness of bacon-topped burgers that makes the younger folks feel better. Meats contain compounds that increase production of dopamine, a so-called “happy hormone” that elevates mood. But hope’s not lost for vegetarians: Regular exercise has the same effect, study co-author Lina Begdache tells The Post.

“Young adults who ate meat (red or white) less than three times a week and exercised less than three times week showed a significant mental distress,” Begdache, an assistant professor of health and wellness studies at Binghamton University, adds in a press release.

For older adults, recommendations are a little different. They were found to benefit from anti-oxidants, found in fruits, because they fight free radicals that increase as we get older. These, researchers think, are responsible for the positive effect on participants’ moods.

For extra emotional support for the 30-and-over set, Begdache suggests laying off simple carbs and coffee: “Our ability to regulate stress [with age] decreases, so if we consume food that activates the stress response (such as coffee and too many carbohydrates), we are more likely to experience mental distress,” she says.