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We are always told that our diets are the most significant factor that influences our health. It’s the first thing doctors warn us about, and the solution to many ailments such as high blood pressure and diabetes. We know that a poor diet can lead to serious illnesses like heart disease, stroke, and even cancer. As if we needed any more reason to eat a healthy balanced diet, there is more and more evidence that the food we eat also impacts our mental health.
Nutritional psychiatry is a relatively new field of medicine that aims to explore and utilize the connection between food and mood. Nowadays, food can be part of the prescription.
Click through this gallery to learn more.
In the past, the field of medicine did not acknowledge the connection between food and mental health. But thanks to the burgeoning study of nutritional psychiatry, we’re beginning to understand how our diets impact our moods.
Nutritional psychiatry combines the studies of nutrition, dietetic sciences, and psychological sciences. It aims to explore the impact that nutritional intervention can have on mental health.
Our brain is active 24/7, even when we’re asleep, so it is constantly in need of fuel. The food we eat provides that fuel, and the quality of the fuel has a significant impact on how the brain performs.
High-quality foods with lots of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants help to protect the brain from harmful free radicals. Free radicals are naturally produced when the body uses oxygen.
Free radicals are basically like whacked-out little atoms bouncing around inside the body looking for somewhere to land. When they bind with our cells, they can damage them. They can contribute to a number of chronic illnesses, from cardiovascular disease to cancer.
If we’re lacking in these essential nutrients, our bodies don’t have the power to protect the brain from these free radicals. In fact, a poor diet high in processed foods and refined sugars not only reduces protection, it causes further harm to the brain.
This kind of diet promotes inflammation and increases the amount of harmful free radicals in the body. Multiple studies have found a strong link between a diet high in refined sugars and impaired brain function. It’s also been shown to worsen mood disorders like depression.
Nutritional psychiatry is beginning to expand our knowledge of how the food we eat affects how we feel, but also how our gut bacteria ties into our mental health.
Most people have heard of serotonin in relation to mood. It’s the neurotransmitter in the brain that regulates our mood, as well as our sleep and our appetite.
If someone has low levels of serotonin, then they are more likely to be depressed or anxious. One of the most commonly prescribed forms of antidepressant medication is the SSRI, or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor.
We usually associate mood with the brain, so you might be surprised to discover that 95% of your serotonin is produced in your gastrointestinal tract. No wonder our diets and our emotions are so closely linked!
A healthy gut rich in helpful bacteria can reduce inflammation throughout the body and directly influences our mood and energy levels.
The Western diet tends to be a lot higher in inflammatory foods that bother the gut and, by extension, the brain. These include sugary drinks, refined grains, fried food, processed meat, high-fat dairy, and candy.
The inflammation that this kind of diet causes in the brain has been linked as a potential cause for mental illness. It essentially kills off brain cells.
The World Health Organization estimates that more than 300 million people around the world suffer from depression. The number of prescriptions issued for antidepressants has been rising significantly in recent years.
In some cases, a balanced diet can even replace prescription medication, when properly advised by a doctor.
Studies have shown that more traditional diets like the Mediterranean diet or the Japanese diet reduce the risk of depression by 25-35%. They tend to be based around vegetables, fruits, unprocessed grains, and fish, with lower amounts of lean meat and dairy.
These kinds of diets are completely void of the processed foods and refined sugars. They also tend to include fermented foods, which are natural probiotics. The components of these diets are optimal for a healthy gut, which leads to a happier brain.
Many people say they cannot believe the change they feel in their mood and energy levels when they try out this kind of “clean” balanced diet.
Next, try to cut out all processed foods and refined sugars for two to three weeks. Chances are you will see significant changes in your energy levels and how your body feels. Hopefully, you should also see an improvement in your mood.
At this point, you can start introducing foods back into your diet one by one. You’ll be able to see how different they make you feel very quickly. They may begin to trigger inflammation in your body, which you had managed to reduce with your two-week diet.
A lack of omega-3 fatty acids has also been associated with low mood and cognitive decline. Naturally fatty fishes like tuna, salmon, and mackerel are great sources of omega 3. They’re also found in nuts and seeds.
All the evidence suggests that there should be a greater role for nutrition in treating mental illness. For those who don't respond to prescription medication or can't stand the side effects, it could be a life-changing development.
Sources: (Harvard Health Publishing) (Health.com) (The Conversation)
Anti-anxiety diet? Understand how food impacts your mental health
Nutritional psychiatry shows the connection between what we eat and how we feel
HEALTH Diet
We are always told that our diets are the most significant factor that influences our health. It’s the first thing doctors warn us about, and the solution to many ailments such as high blood pressure and diabetes. We know that a poor diet can lead to serious illnesses like heart disease, stroke, and even cancer. As if we needed any more reason to eat a healthy balanced diet, there is more and more evidence that the food we eat also impacts our mental health. Nutritional psychiatry is a relatively new field of medicine that aims to explore and utilize the connection between food and mood. Nowadays, food can be part of the prescription.
Click through this gallery to learn more.