Did you know that certain food choices can boost your mental health and reduce several mental health conditions symptoms? Many studies have found that our diet can directly affect our mental health, and food can also be used as a supporting treatment to reduce symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression. Learn about the connection between diet and mental health and what food choices can boost your mental health in this article. Visit the best Mental Health Clinic in Brooklyn at Doral Health & Wellness or log on to www.doralhw.org for a consultation.
How can food affect your mental health?
Your food choices can not only affect your physical health but also your mental health. This happens because our food choices affect our gastrointestinal system (which is known as the gut) which is intricately linked with our brain. The gut contains trillions of living microbes that help many functions in the body such as synthesizing neurotransmitters which are chemicals used by the brain to regulate sleep, pain, appetite, mood, and emotion.
Here’s an example:
Serotonin production. Around 95% of serotonin is produced by the gastrointestinal tract which is linked with a hundred million nerve cells to regulate your sleep, emotions, and moods, and inhibit pain.
This shows that the gut shares a network connection with the brain that manages both mental and digestive functions. A good diet can support the good health of your gut. Healthy gut enzymes support good health by protecting your intestine’s lining and creating a strong barrier against toxins that cause inflammation. It also improves the nutrient absorption process and activates neural pathways that directly connect your gut with the brain.
Studies show that diets like the Mediterranean diet or traditional Japanese diet can lower the risk of depression by 25 to 35% compared to the Western diet. These diets are more focused on vegetables, fruits, unprocessed grains, fish and seafood, and modest amounts of lean meats and dairy. They avoid processed and refined foods, sugars, and staples of the Western dietary pattern. Additionally, many of these unprocessed foods are fermented which act as natural probiotics.
That’s why an emerging field called nutritional psychiatry is evolving, which focuses on diet and nutrition’s effect on mental health. Their main aim is to use diet and lifestyle changes to support the treatment of mental health conditions.
To understand it completely, research is still going on, but experts have found that foods we eat affect the health of gut microbe colonies, which influence our brain and affect our mental and emotional health.
This means your diet plays an essential role in your mental health.
Food choices to boost your brain
To boost your brain and nervous system, you can add these foods to your diet:
- Complex carbohydrates: such as brown rice, starchy vegetables, quinoa, millet, beets, and sweet potatoes.
- Lean proteins: such as chicken, meat, fish, eggs, soybeans, nuts, and seeds.
- Healthy Fats: such as fish, meat, eggs, nuts, and flaxseeds.
Evidence has been found that certain dietary patterns may reduce your symptoms of depression, anxiety, and mood in general. Here are the findings:
Food For depression
Experts, after multiple studies found that a diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes and low in red and processed foods can lower the symptoms in 10% of depression cases.
Two landmark studies directly show that the Mediterranean diet can reduce depression symptoms with promising results. However, not all the studies show striking results, and more human trials are needed. But the early evidence is compelling.
That’s why some health experts have even started recommending a Mediterranean-type diet to support gut health and lower depression risk.
To start a Mediterranean diet, you need to add foods such as:
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Nuts
- Legumes
- Olive oil
- Dairy products
- Fish
Following are the foods you should avoid or limit while following a Mediterranean diet include:
- Fried foods
- Baked goods
- Processed meats
- Sweetened beverages
Keep in mind that following the Mediterranean diet doesn’t mean you should give up on your indigenous/cultural foods. So, modulate your eating habits based on the foods that are easily available locally and meaningful to you culturally or personally.
Food For Stress and Anxiety
Certain substances in your diet may increase your anxiety symptoms such as alcohol, caffeine, and added sugars. Research also found there’s a link between anxiety and high intake of saturated fat, low intake of fruit, and overall poor diet quality.
So, in case you notice yourself experiencing stress or anxious feelings, you should adjust your diet as a part of your treatment plan. Consider avoiding or limiting the intake of alcohol, caffeine, and added sugars. Instead, add foods that reduce inflammation and stress throughout the body such as fiber-rich fruits and veggies, unsaturated fats, and bacteria-laden fermented foods.
For better mood and mental health
To improve your mood, you need to eat a well-balanced diet with a variety of health-promoting nutrients.
Researchers are still exploring the relationships between food and mental health; multiple studies show that eating a high-quality nutrient-dense diet can improve your mood.
For example, 3 recent studies have found that eating more fruits and vegetables makes you worry less, lower tension, and give greater life satisfaction, while a literature review linked superior diet quality with better mood.
Your diet choices can either boost or hinder your mental health. Many studies show how foods affect mental health and how they are connected. So, make healthy well-balanced diet choices for good mental health and reduce the risk of certain mental health conditions as well.
If you need help with a diet plan for good mental health, call us to get a diet plan to boost your mental health. Book your appointment with the best mental health professionals in Brooklyn where doctors and staff ensure you get the best results. Call us on +1-718-367-2555 to get a consultation. If you need help learning coping methods, register your information and make direct contact with our doctors and psychiatrists to learn those methods, log on to www.doralhw.org. Visit us at 1797 Pitkin Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11212.
