Seasonal Eating for Mental Health: Can Spring Produce Help with Improved Mood and Focus?

“April hath put a spirit of youth in everything.” – William Shakespeare

There’s a reason we talk about having a “spring in my step.” Spring is not only a mechanism of propulsion but also the season when the warmer weather fills us with new-found energy.

Is there more to this? Does the seasonal food available in spring contribute to our feelings of well-being and ability to focus? Can including more of these foods in our diet magnify these feelings and abilities, transforming our mind to match the season and all it means for our environment?

Let’s first look at the association between spring weather and serotonin levels. We will take the next step to show how serotonin levels affect mood. And finally, we will explore the links between Spring, serotonin and the foods that Spring adds to our dietary options.

Spring weather, increased sunshine and warmth have long been anecdotally associated with improved mood. There is science to reinforce this. Serotonin levels have long been proven to affect human mood. A 1997 all male, controlled observational study done at the Institute of Psychiatry in London confirmed the fact low serotonin levels are a significant factor in depression and noted correlation between higher levels of serotonin among all study participants in spring as opposed to fall.

Subsequently, a 2002 study of males that was published in The Lancet found that sunlight is a major contributor to serotonin levels

A larger, all gender 2011 epidemiological analysis showed a higher correlation of serotonin uptake in the spring quarter versus the fall quarter, with correlation far greater in men than women.

What are the human consequences when this Spring serotonin hits?

Tryptophan, mood, sleep, and food

A 2016, Jenkins et al Literature review (Nutrients) reports that the link between serotonin and mood is not well understood but points out that the association between a lack of serotonin and depression is well researched and established. In fact, however, it is not serotonin itself that’s found in food, it’s tryptophan, an essential amino acid that is the precursor of serotonin. Therefore, the study points out, foods that are high in Tryptophan (egg whites, meats, poultry, legumes, dairy, nuts, and seeds) can play a role in mood regulation and also helps to improve REM sleep, which leads to increased alertness as well as better reasoning and memory functions. Because tryptophan is metabolized to create serotonin, the gut microbiome is the largest source of serotonin in the human body.

The “axis bold as love”: Tryptophan, serotonin and the Brain-Gut Axis

The same 2016 study shows that serotonin is a key element in brain gut axis., a bi-directional communication system between This axis is the key bi-directional system between the two dominant human nerve centres. A 2014 study by EA Mayer et al published in The Journal of Neuroscience found that alterations in the gut microbiome may play a role in human brain diseases, including autism, anxiety, depression, and even chronic pain.

How do spring foods aid the gut microbiome, and serotonin levels?

According to multiple studies, including a 2019 study by RD Hills et al that was published in Nutrients, have shown that diet plays an important role in determining the composition of our gut microbiome and links dietary choices to obesity, bowel, heart, and mental health disorders. And, in the same year, a study by William Zhao et al found a link between a healthy gut microbiome and improved food allergy responses.

So, are spring foods unique in their ability to generate a healthy microbiome? Luckily for us, the answer is no, they’re not! In fact, a 2019 literature review by Holly Willis et al, found that “There was limited effect on microbial diversity across studies and modest microbial changes were noted in 10 of 15 studies. More research is needed before specific plant foods can be recommended to improve gut microbiota and ultimately health. And Ping Zhang’s 2022 comprehensive review suggests that fibre rich foods play a role in the maintenance of a gut microbiome that helps to balance the negative side effects of antibiotics, which are most often prescribed in winter (Suda, 2014).

Finally, a 2020 study by Leah Stiemsma et al showed that early research indicates a positive link between fermented foods, which are available year-round, and gut health.

Conclusion

Based on the scientific evidence, a high fibre diet, teamed with gut microbiome feeding pulses and fermented foods will keep your “second brain,” which is the main serotonin producer, in great shape year-round. As Spring hits, you will also feel a boost as the sunny days grow longer. Together, diet and sunshine combine to put that spring in our step, reduce food allergies, and combat conditions as wide ranging as cardiovascular illness, bowel disease, and mental health.

Cited References

Peer Reviewed

Serotonin and Spring

Effect of Sunlight and Season on Serotonin Turnover in the Brain (The Lancet – December, 2002).

United States Mass Shootings Triggered by Serotonin Spikes from Annual Seasonal Pollen Level Drops. (ViXra – March, 2021)

Effect of Sunlight and Season on Serotonin Turnover in the Brain (The Lancet – December, 2002)

Reduced Whole Blood Serotonin in Major Depression. (Depression and Anxiety – 1997)

Light-Dependent Alteration of Serotonin-1A Receptor Binding in Cortical and Subcortical Limbic Regions in the Human Brain. (The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry – 2012).

Serotonin Level and Serotonin Uptake in Human Platelets: A Variable Interrelation Under Marked Physiological Influences. (Clinica Chimica Acta – 2011)

Serotonin and Mood

Influence of Tryptophan and Serotonin on Mood and Cognition with a Possible Role of the Gut-Brain Axis. (Nutrients – 2016)

Gut Microbes and the Brain: Paradigm Shift in Neuroscience (Neuroscience – November, 2014)