by Caroline Dalzell

Created on: February 16, 2009   Last Updated: February 24, 2009

Depression affects a huge number of people: in America there are over 17 million sufferers and, according to a survey carried out by the Institute for Optimum Nutrition and involving 37,000 people in Britain, as many as one in three people have or do experience some form of depression.

Depression is a mental state associated with feelings of hopelessness and inadequacy. Often triggered by a stressful or devastating event such as a death or a relationship break-up, depression causes low mood for prolonged periods of time, leads to a lack of motivation and, in some more extreme cases, thoughts of harm or a loss of interest in life.

A healthy body is a healthy mind. We need to eat a nutritionally-balanced diet, combined with regular exercise, to help maintain a state of physical and mental wellbeing. As a rule, what we put into our bodies will naturally affect the way we feel. Just like Diesel cars will choke if you put petrol into them (and vice versa), we humans will start to stall if we don't get the necessary "fuel".

As is the case with most things, we should enjoy food in moderation. Some people experience a loss of appetite and no interest in food when feeling depressed, which deprives the brain of much-needed glucose and nutrients and triggers the vicious cycle of low mood and further loss of appetite. Comfort-eating as a result of feeling unhappy will in turn lead to weight gain, increasing the feelings of melancholy which then increases the desire to comfort-eat.

A varied diet is best as this is most likely to include a wide range of vitamins and nutrients, essential in keeping us physically and mentally healthy. I've listed below the nutrients most effective in the fight against depression.

VITAMIN B
The vitamin B complex keeps certain enzymes working in the body. For example, B1 helps convert sugars into energy; B6 regulates mood and behaviour; and B12 is needed for red blood cell formation. These potent vitamins can be found in fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds.

VITAMIN C
Needed to maintain healthy connective tissue and also thought to act as an anti-oxidant, vitamin C is found in abundance in citrus fruits and green vegetables.

VITAMIN K
Also known for its anti-oxidant properties, vitamin K is needed to keep us in tip-top condition. Found in leafy vegetables and egg yolk.

OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS
Omega-3 is essential for building the brain's nerve connectors and receptor sites, which helps nerve cells to communicate with each other. This, in turn, means an improved

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