While food gives people energy, it can also make people happier. Usually when people are feeling depressed, they go see a psychologist, but food can also lift people's spirits. Scientific studies show that foods such as deep sea fish, bananas, grapefruits, all wheat bread, spinach, cherries, garlic, pumpkins, low fat milk and chicken can help fight against depression. Read on to find out more.

1 Deep sea fish
Studies show that people living by the sea appear much happier than those living inland, partly because the fresh sea air helps them clear their minds and partly because people by the sea eat a lot of deep sea fish. A study by Harvard University points out that the Omega-3 fatty acid contained in deep sea fish functions the same as anti-depression drugs in that helps calm nerves and increases the secretion of serotonin.

2 Banana
Banana contains a natural chemical compound called alkaloid, which gives people a boost increases their confidence. Bananas are also a source of tryptophan and vitamin B6, both help the brain to manufacture serotonin.

3 Grapefruit
Grapefruit is rich in vitamin C, which improves the body's resistance by maintaining the density of red blood cells and is also a good combatant against stress. What's more important is that vitamin C is an indispensable element in making dopamine and adrenalin, both chemicals that can stimulate excitement.

4 All-wheat bread
Carbohydrates increase the secretion of serotonin. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) researchers say it makes good sense that some people eat desserts and food made with flour as anti-depression drugs.

5 Spinach
Researchers find that lack of folic acid leads directly to a decrease in serotonin which could lead to depression. Spinach is well known for its abundance in folic acid.

6 Cherry
Western doctors call cherry a natural aspirin because this fruit contains a material called anthocyanin which can make people happy. Researchers at the University of Michigan point out that eating 20 cherries is more effective than medicines that relieve depression.

7 Garlic
Garlic gives people a bad smell yet a good mood. German researchers conducted a study on garlic and found out that when people who are highly strung eat garlic, they show less of a tendency to be anxious and angry.

8 Pumpkin
Eating pumpkin can help get people into a good mood because it is rich in vitamin B6 and Iron, which both transform the sugar stored in the body to glucose, which fuels the brain.

9 Low fat milk
Studies find that after taking calcium pills for three months, those women with pre-menstrual syndrome have a less stressful time and are less likely to feel nervous or anxious. Milk, yogurt and cheese are a major source of calcium. Low fat or skim milk contain the most calcium.

10 Chicken
After some British psychologists feed their subjects 100mg of selenium, they found that their subjects all felt happier. Chicken is a major source of selenium.

(China Daily November 7, 2007)