Hummus instead of Prozac
A recent research conducted by Israeli scientists, has interesting findings concerning the popularity of Hummus. It’s all about mood they say – chickpeas are the ancestors of Prozac.
It is a known fact that Chickpeas, as well as other legumes, contain a large dosage of Tryptophan, an amino acid which is an important building block of serotonin. The latter, is a neurotransmitter, the lack of which modern biochemistry and psychiatry agree is strongly connected with “mood disorders” such as anxiety and minor depression.
Nowdays, the lack of serotonin is treated with SSRI (Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Medicines such as Prozac, Seroxat, Cipralex etc.) which increases the amount of serotonin in the brain. A Tryptophan rich diet has a similar effect.
The Cicer Arietinum (a.k.a chickpea) is the richest in Tryptophan specie throughout it’s genus of plants.
What the researchers (Professor Avi Gopher, Dr. Zohar Kerem, Professor Simcha Lev-Yadun, Dr. Shachar Abbo.) say, is that the chickpea was probably cultivated due to its’ rich Tryptophan content. Ancient men were better skilled than us in recognizing healthy foods and getting their nutritional needs from foods – very much like we can see in animals.
Thousands of years better, hummus is a common dish in a growing number of countries because it tastes good – but also for it’s nutritional value. Ironically, in both cases, people tend to say eating hummus makes them “feel good”…
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7 Responses to “Hummus instead of Prozac”
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Sence I began to increase my tryptophan intake from all soarce’s,I have almost completely stopped taken my anti depressant.Im still not jolly ollie and life is not a bowl of cherries but Im happier then I have been in years and getting better all the time.I’m really optomistic about the future
spike
[...] In a recent post I addressed the fascinating issue of hummus’s anti-depression and anti-anxiety potential. To be exact, hummus has some nutrients that may affect mood in certain dosages. This is somewhat similar to how an SSRI drug (Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) like Prozac, Seroxat or Cipralex works. [...]
Hey Spike, other readers,
I’m glad you’re feeling better, but when dealing with changes in medications, always consult a physician before acting.
I would encourage anyone to seek alternatives to drug therapy, but always under a physician’s guidance.
All the best, enjoy your hummus (and bananas and quinoa and raisins and peaches and dates)
But what about turkey and chicken? They also contain triptophan, if I’m not mistaken. Granted, this is a hummus blog, but shouldn’t you try to highlight where we might eat it most? (Meaning: the average American is more likely to eat chicken/turkey than hummus and so would relate this more keenly to their lives…?)
Let me just say that it’s way past my bedtime, I stumbled here, scanned your entry, and hurriedly typed a response. I apologize if I don’t make much sense.
[...] might be the answer. A recent study has shown chickpeas to have a connection to Prozac and other antidepressants, given its high levels of Tryptophan (yes, also found in your Thanksgiving turkey), which helps [...]
with a big plate of hummus in front of you, how could one not be happy!
all is joy…..