NUTRITION AND MENTAL HEALTH

More and more, we’re learning about the connection between the food we eat and our mental health. The connection between diet and mood is now understood to be so strong that a new field of study has emerged recently: nutritional psychiatry!

This connection works two ways – our mood can influence which foods we eat, and our diet can have a remarkable impact on how we feel mentally.

If that seems surprising, consider this: our brains weigh just a couple of pounds but use up 20% of all the energy burned by the body each day! And in order to function optimally, our brains require a vast array of vitamins, minerals, proteins and fats that are the hallmark of a good diet. In fact, deficiencies in certain vitamins can sometimes lead to symptoms that mimic mental health disorders.

In addition, researchers have found that people with depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder have higher levels of inflammation in their brains. Why does that matter? Well, our diet can be a major source of inflammation, OR a critical tool to cool that inflammation down.

BUT…it gets even more intriguing! Our digestive system is home to tens of trillions of bacteria and other microbes that play a critical role in our health. If these bacteria are fed a healthy diet, they provide us with vitamins, anti-inflammatory substances and neurotransmitters like serotonin and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) that can help calm us down. Amazingly, when bacteria are taken from anxious mice and implanted into mice whose digestive systems are sterile, the recipient mice start to show signs of anxiety! And our diet is the best way we can keep our beneficial gut bacteria happy!

We’re only just starting to understand the full impact of diet on mental health, but so far, the research is really promising. It’s my particular passion to stay on top of new research in this field and help clients use the power of food to address mood, focus, mental energy and overall brain health - brain-powered nutrition for a more powerful brain!