The Connection Between Nutrition and Mental Health

It’s a long-established fact that nutrition is critically important to physical health. However, recently, much attention from the scientific community is focused on the connection between nutrition and mental health. Research is proving that a healthy diet can have a significant impact on mental health conditions and their symptoms.

Evidence of the Nutrition-Mental Health Connection

Several studies have compared traditional diets such as the Mediterranean diet to the modern Western diet and found that those who eat a traditional diet are 25% to 35% less likely to develop depression. Traditional diets include fruits and vegetables, unprocessed grains, and fish, while Western diets include more processed foods and sugars.

Many other studies have shown connections between the development of disorders like ADHD and anxiety and poor nutrition. Mood regulation has also shown direct correlations to nutrition.

The Science of Nutrition and Mental Health

So, what specifically occurs in the body when you eat healthy foods that affect mental health?

Serotonin

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter in the brain, the production of which makes you feel good by regulating your mood. Many antidepressant medications target serotonin regulation. However, several steps must occur in your gut for serotonin to be produced, and these steps require certain nutrients such as vitamin B1, calcium, and others. If you are not getting these nutrients, your serotonin levels can be deficient, which can make you feel depressed or anxious.

Your Gut

Your gut microbiome is made up of bacteria, some of which is beneficial bacteria that can produce certain nutrients even when you don’t consume them. These healthy bacteria are also necessary to reduce inflammation and to improve the health of the gut barrier, which absorbs nutrients. Inflammation and a lack of nutrients can send stress signals to the brain, thus bringing on mental health disorder symptoms.

A well-balanced microbiome requires certain nutrients, particularly fiber from foods like broccoli, leafy greens, and beans.

Inflammation

Inflammation, which as mentioned, can send stress signals to the brain, can also be caused by processed foods, saturated fat, and sugar. Research shows that inflammation can also affect the hippocampus. The hippocampus produces dopamine, which helps you to manage your stress. Thus, changes in the hippocampus can lead to stress and anxiety.

Glucose Levels

Glucose levels, which are directly related to diet, can impact your mood. Eating processed and sugary foods can cause fluctuations in glucose levels, which can lead to irritability and anxiety. This is why people with diabetes, whose blood sugar can fluctuate, have a higher risk of anxiety and depression.

The Nervous System

Your nervous system sends messages to the body and receives messages from the body through neural pathways. Neuroplasticity, which is the ability of the brain to form new neural pathways, is what allows us to adapt to changes that occur within the body or in our environment. If this is not occurring, these changes can lead to anxiety, depression, and other mental health disorders.

Nutrients are required to keep the nervous system functioning properly, including amino acids, fatty acids, certain minerals, and carbohydrates.

Nutrition and Adolescent Development

Research has consistently shown that nutrition affects the brain development and mental well-being of children even more than it affects adults. Poor nutrition, particularly with high sugar consumption, has been associated with the development of disorders like ADHD, anxiety, and depression in adolescents. This means that a healthy, low-sugar diet for children may help to prevent mental health disorders and to treat them.

How to Change Your Eating Habits for Better Mental Health

Completely overhauling your diet is not easy, but once you’ve started, you’ll likely see a change in your mood, mental health symptoms, and your overall wellbeing. If you find the following tips overwhelming, try doing one at a time and gradually add others.

Keep a Food Diary

As a first step, try keeping a food diary to track what you’re eating and what happens to your mood afterwards. Not everyone is alike, so you might find that certain foods trigger mental health symptoms or lower your mood, and vice versa.

Eliminate Processed Foods

One of the biggest food culprits when it comes to mental health is processed food because it often contains sugar, unhealthy fats, and food additives. Processed foods can trigger anxiety and depression and even affect cognitive function. Examples of processed foods include frozen meals, deli meats, canned goods, and cereals. Instead, eat fresh foods and use fresh ingredients to prepare meals.

Cut Sugar

Cutting refined sugar out of your diet can be difficult, but sugar is associated with inflammation, glucose level fluctuations, and altered brain function. Don’t substitute artificial sweeteners either. If you’re craving a sweet, go for fruit instead.

Add Seafood

Many types of seafood contain omega 3 fatty acids, which can help with brain function and mood. They also are anti-inflammatory. Fatty fish, like salmon and tuna, are best. Try to incorporate seafood into your diet at least once a week.

Add Healthy Fats

In addition to seafood, healthy fats are found in nuts and seeds, olive oil, and avocados. Nuts and seeds make great snacks, so they should be easy to incorporate into your diet.

Load Up on Veggies

Vegetables are loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber, all of which can reduce inflammation and improve your gut health. Every meal should include a vegetable, and you can also snack on raw veggies like carrots or broccoli.

Keep Healthy Snacks in your Fridge

It’s easy to snack on things that aren’t good for you when you get hungry between meals. A cookie or some chips are just grab and go. Instead, keep quick and healthy options in your fridge like hard boiled eggs, snack size veggies, and fruits.

Plan Meals Before You Shop

It’s much easier to eat healthy foods when you plan your meals ahead of time and shop only for what you need. If you go to the store without a plan, you can end up impulse buying less healthy foods.

Exercise

When you’re eating a healthy diet, you can give yourself an added boost with regular exercise. When you exercise, endorphins are released, which are natural mood boosters. This can help to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression.

In Closing

The connection between nutrition and mental health is clear. A healthy diet can prevent some mental health disorders and ease their symptoms when they are present. For more information and resources about nutrition and mental health, contact New England Medical Group. We are here to help.