10 Foods Proven To Make You Happy As A Clam—Starting With, Naturally, A...

Consider food's purely sensory pleasures—the cool, sweet slip of silky ice cream on your tongue; the spicy, aromatic complexity of a divine curry; the rich, crackly crunch of buttered popcorn. Along with a meal's flavor and mouthfeel, though, brain chemicals affect the joy you get from eating—even before you lift your fork, says Alex Korb, a postdoctoral researcher in neuroscience at UCLA. "Your brain releases dopamine in anticipation of eating good food, and that anticipation makes eating even more pleasurable," he says. What's more, certain foods, like these 10, are blessed with compounds that lift your spirits.

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Here’s a great reason to chow down at the clambake: Clams are packed with vitamin B12; low levels of that vitamin can lead to depression, as the brain needs B12 to make dopamine and serotonin. Depressed people who had low levels of B12 (and were taking antidepressants) felt much better 3 months after adding a B12 supplement. Bonus: even canned clams, including those in chowder, offer a B12 boost. If you can't have clams every day, you can get the vitamin from other seafood, including trout and salmon, as well as beef, chicken, dairy products, and fortified cereals.

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Nuts and seeds, especially these two, are loaded with alpha-linolenic acid. In research from the Nurses’ Health Study, women who had the most ALA in their diets were less likely to be depressed. Here’s how it works: When your blood levels of ALA are low, so are you; low ALA levels fan the flames of inflammation, which has been linked to depression. What's more, low ALA also decreases levels of the brain chemicals dopamine, which is responsible for feelings of joy, and serotonin, which inhibits anger and aggression. (Can't pop 'em by the handful? These 5 Nut Butters Anyone Can Make will help you get your delicious fix.)

According to Nurses’ Health Study research, women who drank two to three cups of caffeinated coffee a day were about 15% less likely to become depressed; those who drank four or more cups were at 20% lower risk. We can probably thank caffeine for the happy boost—a psychoactive drug that works sort of like a harmless crack cocaine, increasing dopamine and serotonin transmission within just 30 minutes.

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No matter which you find in the farmer’s market or on produce shelves, radishes’ spicy crunch may lift your mood by stimulating the release of dopamine and norepinephrine.

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These succulent bivalves are one of nature’s richest sources of zinc. In a 2013 randomized clinical trial involving 44 people with depression, those who were given a 25 mg zinc supplement along with an antidepressant enjoyed improved moods over the 12-week study period, more so than those just given an antidepressant. Low zinc levels are also linked to anxiety. Three ounces of fresh oysters (about 8 medium) contains a substantial 52 mg dose of zinc; a 3-ounce can contains 77 mg.

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The juice of this seed-packed fruit lowered blood pressure, anxiety, and depression in study participants who drank a glass of it every day for 2 weeks.

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Cultured dairy products like these enhance your populations of probiotic bacteria—the healthy kind living in your gut. A UCLA study found that women who ate probiotic yogurt twice a day reacted less stressfully when shown pictures of angry and frightened faces. Likewise, mice fed a probiotic (Lactobacillus rhamnosus, available in supplement forms such as Culturelle) remained chill even when forced to swim or navigate a maze, two things that stress mice out. How’s it work? Your gut and your brain have regular chats via the vagus nerve, so good bacteria may be spreading a chill-out message. Be sure to buy yogurt labeled with "Contains live and active cultures." (Make the most of your yogurt with these 8 healthy add-in ideas.)

These meaty, delectable mushrooms have an uplifting effect on your mood, thanks to their high selenium and magnesium content.

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Woot! Here’s another great reason to indulge in rich, dark chocolate (the darker, the better): It’s loaded with chemicals, such as polyphenols, that might boost your mood (one polyphenol actually mimics marijuana’s mood-boosting effects.). In a 2013 study, Australian researchers reported that volunteers who chugged the biggest dose of a dark-chocolate drink laced with zero, 250, or 500 mg of polyphenols, also got a shot of calm and contentment.

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These summery treats also are packed with vitamin B6, which a 2010 study says reduces depression in people 65 and older. And that’s not all: These bright yellow beauties contain the antioxidants beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, higher levels of which are linked to higher moods.

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