An Extensive Review on the Relationship between Food and Mood

Food and mood are regular consistent part of our lives and they inevitably get tangled up together. This review study aims to find out the physiochemical and biochemical relationships and the exact mechanism that binds food with mood. Results showed that caffeine improves vigilance, alertness, mood and cognitive processes during and after exercise. L-theanine a major component of tea, has anxiolytic and calming effect due to its up-regulation of inhibitory neurotransmitters and possible modulation of serotonin and dopamine in selected areas. Antidepressant-like effect of chocolate can most likely be attributed to the antioxidant potential of cocoa polyphenol which reduces hunger and elevates mood. n-3 PUFA present in fish oil exerts anti-depressant effect. Folic acid and Vitamin C is beneficial for the reduction of Childhood Depression.