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In What is the dopamine diet? I found a list of foods which help your brain balance. Look familiar?

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Dairy foods such as milk, cheese and yogurt
Unprocessed meats such as beef, chicken and turkey
Omega-3 rich fish such as salmon and mackerel
Eggs
Fruit and vegetables, in particular bananas
Nuts such as almonds and walnuts
Dark chocolate

Most of these recs will fit right into our low carb plans. And the ones that don't will explain why these are "comfort foods" in some respects

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Most versions of the diet recommend avoiding alcohol, caffeine and processed sugar, while some also recommend cutting out or severely restricting starchy carbohydrates. So what is the science behind the dopamine diet?

Dopamine directly affects the reward and pleasure centres in the brain, which in turn affects mood. Its activation occurs for a number of reasons, including the sudden availability of food.

There is emerging evidence to show that people who are overweight may have impairments in dopamine pathways which could have been blunted through constant exposure to highly palatable (sugary and fatty) foods. This blunted response could potentially lead to increased reward seeking behaviour, including over-eating - however, this is an area that needs more research. Currently, we do know that all eating increases dopamine, especially the intake of high fat and sugar foods, both off which can lead to an increase in appetite, overeating and weight gain in the long term.

Wow. This is fascinating stuff. It fits right in with how dopamine receptor drugs often help people with ADHD or autism. Things go downhill in the article, such as their notion of "healthy fats" but the science is sound. I've been reading some cutting edge stuff about anxiety.

For instance, a habit of procrastination is tied into dopamine issues. It takes more to activate the dopamine, which is what lets our brain put our bodies into action. If you have resistant dopamine receptors, it takes ANXIETY to activate them; and being late is what "flips the switch."

To me, this explains a lot about improved moods on low carb, and maybe even my success with therapeutic niacin. Niacin is vital for dopamine production. With it, my anxiety -- which had progressed to panic attacks -- is so much better.

And when you look at the SAD -- it really doesn't support anyone's dopamine.