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Can nutritional psychiatry help understand mental health?
Mental illnesses account for a significant proportion of global health problems. This is why they pose such significant social, economic, and health concerns. 1
While prescription medications and psychotherapies (such as talk-based therapies and cognitive behavioral therapies) make up the majority of traditional treatments, nutritional psychiatry shows us that food and diet can also provide keys to understanding mental health.
According to nutritional psychiatry, the food we eat may have a greater impact on stress management than we previously thought. New studies have focused on understanding the biological mechanisms that underlie the observed link between diet, nutrition, and mental health, citing digestive health as a key factor in our well-being and happiness .
What do we know about the link between digestive health and mental health?
While nutritional psychiatry is a relatively new discipline, a number of studies over the past few decades have revealed the possible link between certain foods and their effect on our mental health. Omega-3 fatty acid and folate supplements have been used to treat mood disorders, and a number of observational studies have examined the intake of specific nutrients or foods to combat common mental disorders such as depression and anxiety. 3
How can our digestive health affect our mood?
The gut microbiome plays a vital role in regulating inflammation. Trillions of bacteria live in our gut, and when the balance is right (the "good bacteria" are present in large numbers and the "bad" bacteria don't take over), they help convert the amino acid tryptophan into serotonin. 4 Serotonin is the key hormone that regulates our mood, namely feelings of well-being and happiness. Low serotonin levels are associated with depression 5 And high levels of bad bacteria prevent the body from producing enough serotonin, so keeping your digestive health under control through a healthy diet can prevent these bad bacteria from getting out of control. This allows the good bacteria to do their job (producing more serotonin) and have a positive impact on our mood. A good diet can really make us happy!
So… which foods have this power?
As part of the "Food and Mood" project, a survey was recently conducted 6 , supported by the mental health charity Mind. The published results identified "stress-promoting" foods and "calming" foods. Stress-promoting foods, unsurprisingly, are foods like sugar, caffeine, and alcohol. Mood-boosting foods include water, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, fiber, whole grains, and oily fish.
Why not try eating more calming foods and fewer stress-inducing foods for a few weeks to see what effect it has on your mood? While it may be difficult at first, your efforts will soon pay off: you'll feel happier and more optimistic!
- NCBI: Nutritional psychiatry – the present state of the evidence
- NCBI: Nutritional psychiatry – where to next?
- Psychiatry online: Association of Western and Traditional diets with depression and anxiety in women
- The Guardian: Nutritional psychiatry – can you eat yourself happier?
- Hormone Health Network: What is Serotonin?
- https://www.comfirst.org.uk/files/food_mood_survey_summary.pdf