How Nutrition Affects Mental Health: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
What are you eating?
In addition to providing the energy your body needs, food is essential to both physical and mental health. This year, May was designated as National Mental Health Awareness Month (or Mental Health Month), so it’s important to understand the connection between nutrition and mental health.
After all, 40 million American adults are dealing with mental illness every single day — it could be one of your friends, family members, or loved ones.
There are so many factors that come into play, from how our body digests food to the mental health definition we give ourselves.
If we look at it in simple terms, we can draw a line between mental health definition (positive or negative) and diet. If you feel good about yourself generally speaking, chances are you have a positive diet to match.
This month, mental Health Awareness Month, it's important for us all to take a moment to think about what we're putting in our bodies - both physically and mentally.
If we look at it in simple terms, we can draw a line between mental health definition (positive or negative) and diet. If you feel good about yourself generally speaking, chances are you have a positive diet to match.
However, if you feel as though you could use some work in one area or another, examining your diet might be useful.
Eating well isn’t just good for your physical health; a healthy diet can also help with mental wellbeing.
Research has shown that foods rich in protein reduce levels of stress hormones (cortisol), helping you to relax.
Magnesium and vitamin B12 have been found to improve mood while folate may help protect against depression.
Omega-3 fatty acids such as those found in oily fish can be helpful for people suffering from anxiety or depression.
Brain Foods
Omega-3 fatty acids such as those found in oily fish can be helpful for people suffering from anxiety or depression.
Brain needs essential nutrients to function properly.
Brain foods are those that provide nutrients like Omega 3 fatty acids, B vitamins, iron, zinc, vitamin C and Vitamin E.
These nutrients help keep neurons healthy and can prevent cognitive decline.
All of these nutrients are found in a nutritious diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables.
It is also important to eat a diet rich in protein as it provides amino acids which help create neurotransmitters such as serotonin- something that regulates mood.
The brain is an organ, and like any other organ in your body it needs nutrients. Neurotransmitters are the chemicals that help you process emotions, thoughts, and even see what's going on around you.
When neurotransmitters don't have enough of certain vitamins or minerals to function properly they can become depleted which can lead to many mental health problems like depression or anxiety.
Vitamin B12 is especially important for brain health because it helps make neurotransmitters called catecholamines.
These neurotransmitters include dopamine, epinephrine (adrenaline), and norepinephrine.
-- Dopamine helps you feel pleasure, motivation, focus and concentration.
-- Epinephrine helps with your mood as well as physical energy levels.
-- Norepinephrine can help you deal with stress by helping to slow down your system when things get out of hand.
Omega-3 Fats for Depression
Two studies found that omega-3 fats may help with depression.
Food to avoid that affect your mental health
Processed foods such as chips, cookies, and packaged snacks like chocolate bars are often filled with sugar or high fructose corn syrup. Sugar is one of the most addictive substances on earth.
Processed foods also usually contain unhealthy fats such as saturated and trans fats.
Top 10 food for good mental health
1. Nuts – high in Omega-3 fatty acids that help to reduce depression.
2. Yogurt – probiotics in yogurt can help improve your mood
3. Blueberries – blueberries are high in antioxidants that have been shown to boost cognitive function 4. Leafy Greens – leafy greens are filled with folate which has been linked to reduced risk of depression
5. Salmon – omega-3 fatty acids found in salmon have been shown to improve symptoms of anxiety
6. Broccoli – Broccoli is high in Vitamin B6 which helps the brain produce serotonin
7. Chia Seeds – Chia seeds contain an amino acid called tryptophan that increases levels of serotonin 8. Almonds – almonds are a good source of vitamin E, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus and riboflavin
9. Flaxseeds - Flaxseeds are an excellent source of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a type of plant-based omega-3
10.Sardines - Sardines contain DHA omega-3 fatty acids
One study looked at 154 people with major depression who were given either a placebo or fish oil capsules for eight weeks.
Those who took fish oil showed significant improvement in symptoms of depression. Another study looked at 21 people with bipolar disorder who were given either omega-3 capsules or olive oil (placebo) for six weeks.
In this second study, only those participants taking omega-3 showed any improvements in their symptoms of bipolar disorder.
Consuming too much sugar can lead to mood swings, anxiety issues, depression, fatigue and difficulty concentrating.
High fructose corn syrup is a form of sugar that has been linked to obesity as well as heart disease.
Processed foods also usually contain unhealthy fats such as saturated and trans fats.
Eating too much of these types of fat can increase your risk of developing heart disease, stroke or even cancer.
Many processed foods are high in both sugar and unhealthy fats.
Examples include packaged desserts like ice cream and cake mixes as well as potato chips. Foods that contain omega-6 fatty acids have also been linked to depression in some people.
2. Yogurt – probiotics in yogurt can help improve your mood
3. Blueberries – blueberries are high in antioxidants that have been shown to boost cognitive function 4. Leafy Greens – leafy greens are filled with folate which has been linked to reduced risk of depression
5. Salmon – omega-3 fatty acids found in salmon have been shown to improve symptoms of anxiety
6. Broccoli – Broccoli is high in Vitamin B6 which helps the brain produce serotonin
7. Chia Seeds – Chia seeds contain an amino acid called tryptophan that increases levels of serotonin 8. Almonds – almonds are a good source of vitamin E, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus and riboflavin
9. Flaxseeds - Flaxseeds are an excellent source of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a type of plant-based omega-3
10.Sardines - Sardines contain DHA omega-3 fatty acids
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