There's a little truth in every wife's tale and "you are what you eat" is no exception. The food that you choose to put into your mouth has a run on effect on your gut health, and in turn, your mental health. There is so much more I could talk about on this topic, but we would be here all day! So, for now, here's a sneak peak into some of the things that go into a mental health plan in regard to diet.
Why is What You Eat Related to Your Mental Health?
The term "mood food" has been popping up on government websites and in research for a few years. This is largely based around nutrition research which shows the benefits on mood from eating a whole food, Mediterranean style diet rich in fresh vegetables, fish, quality low refined oils, and fruits. This kind of diet is also highly antioxidant and anti-inflammatory and can reduce your risk of depression and anxiety by up to 42%(3). Some would say that depression is inflammation of the brain - research pending, but you can see why a diet so anti-inflammatory would have positive effects on an inflammatory state(1). Anxiety has shown to have roots in imbalanced nervous system activity and an imbalance in some neurotransmitters.
It is particularly prevalent among young adults - those more likely to be isolated and under stress(1). The rising number of prescription antidepressants/anti-anxiety medication, with numerous side effects and low reported efficacy is worrying, when there is so much that can be done around habits and lifestyle (often without spending much). So I'm going to give you the lowdown on how to support your mental health with food, and with lifestyle. After all, naturopath principle number four is "Doctor as teacher" (Docere).
Food as Medicine
Here's the 'you are what you eat' part. A modified Mediterranean diet has shown the most benefit for mental health, relieving anxiety symptoms for up to three years(2). In fact, fresh fish consumption was directly correlated with a reduced risk of low mood in several studies(2). As fruits and vegetables make up a large portion of any healthy diet, they contain antioxidants and "may" positively affect serotonergic (happy neurotransmitter) status(2). Fast food and ready-to-eat meals were negatively associated with mental health status, likely due to their pro-inflammatory ingredients and super processing. Pro-inflammatory dietary patterns are high in "sugar-sweetened soft drinks, refined grains, red meat, diet soft drinks, and margarine and low in wine, coffee, olive oil, green leafy, and yellow vegetables"(2,3). Basically, this diet helps to downregulate inflammation and therefore neuroinflammation. Plus, you get all these wonderful hormone building and stress reducing components.
The brain is largely made up on fat (self-made cholesterol and polyunsaturated fatty acids) and uses approximately 400 calories a day worth of energy(3). The production of neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, uses amino acids (from protein), B vitamins, zinc, iron and a few other co-factors. Therefore - to assist your brain in functioning optimally, you need to eat foods rich in natural vitamins and essential amino acids, in addition to carbohydrates to fuel that energy use and antioxidants to prevent the precious fatty acids from oxidizing. Fish and seafood do hit most of those components, but vegetables such as kale, beans and legumes also contain good quality folate and are naturally anti-inflammatory(2,3). While these are best included rather than not, there are daily and weekly targets to hit if you want this to be a 'therapeutic' diet.
Magnesium – you may consider supplementing this mineral. It's known to improve GABA, a calming neurotransmitter in our brains, and is also important in many bodily functions. Dark leafy greens and foods like oats, seeds and beans are all excellent sources of magnesium.
If you prefer list forms:
- Fatty fish - 2 times per week
- Fruits and vegetables of varying colours (++ antioxidants) - minimum 2 fresh cups everyday
- High tryptophan foods (amino acid used to make serotonin) are cheese, pumpkin and sesame seeds, chicken, turkey, oats, and eggs - include everyday
- High magnesium foods are kale, spinach, dark greens, nuts and seeds, beans, whole grains and oat bran.
- Quit smoking and high sugar foods - all they do is deplete your nutrient stores and create oxidative stress.
If you require more assistance, please book an appointment. Humans are so different from each other, so any treatment protocol is better created uniquely for you.
Probiotics
I can't even list to you the importance of a balanced microbiome in treating mental disorders, but one important thing to remember is that a healthy gut produces the majority of your serotonin (your happy neurotransmitter). The gut microbiome is also important at sensing danger from the foods we consume and letting our brain know what's happening. Our neurotransmitters are what tell our brain what emotions we feel and can be influenced by our gut microbiome. They (scientists/naturopaths) call the gut our second brain for a reason.
A review of research shows that some probiotics (strains of microbes) can change the neurotransmitter balance in our brain. Bifidobacterium adolescentis NK98 and Lactobacillus reuteri NK33 increase brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) contents(2). This is important because BDNF has a role in brain plasticity and neurotransmitter sensitivity - i.e. how resilient our brain is and how responsive it is to our neurotransmitters. An increase in BDNF appears to decrease some behaviours that contribute to symptoms of anxiety. So our gut health changes the way our brain responds to stress levels and makes important neurotransmitters.
We can support our gut health in three ways: eating a wide variety of fruits, vegetables and grains; eating plenty of plant fibre; probiotics if needed. There are many links from the gut to the brain, especially with anxiety disorders. Increased adrenaline and cortisol levels from increased feelings of anxiety can cause bowels to speed up digestion (diarrhoea), or indigestion, as blood flow is shunted away from the gut into the muscles. This is due to the fight or flight response accompanying anxiety, a physiological response.
If you have any gut issues like food intolerances, IBS, painful bloating - your gut might need some extra loving with guidance from a naturopath.
Supplements
Fish oil - acting as an anti-inflammatory agent and also balancing the pro-inflammatory mediators that come from a lot of western foods (fried, packaged, high sugar foods)(3). Fish oil supplementation was shown to improve depression symptoms for up to 3 months after stopping the fish oil(2). Hint: you can also just eat fatty fish regularly too.
Omega 3 fatty acids are anti-inflammatory. Sources include: fatty fish, seafood, grass fed beef, and less so in flax seeds. Omega 6 is pro-inflammatory. Sources include: processed oils - vegetable, canola & corn oil, as well as packaged food as they need to make the product cheaply. The balance between these two fatty acids is one of the reasons why I have recommended fish oil. It is largely omega 3 fatty acids and therefore anti-inflammatory.
Lifestyle
- Vitamin D - helps protect our brain and modulate inflammation through the immune system. Vitamin D deficiency is scarily common(3). So many studies have shown improvements in mental health with a simple 10-15 minutes of sun exposure a day as it helps to balance serotonin levels(3). How nice does drinking your morning tea/coffee in the sun sound? Sunshine, done.
- Social interaction - find someone/some people whom you feel comfortable with, and just spend time with them. Social interaction allows for expression of emotions and thoughts, allows room for growth, and usually you feel better for it.
- Stress management - whatever this means for you (saying no, meditation, me time, breathing techniques, exercise, reading, etc.). Chronic stress changes how our brains are wired so our responses are more controlled by fight or flight rather than reasoning, and prevents us from creating new neurons (to rewire our brain)(2). Stress also breeds inflammation, and as I mentioned, inflammation is not fun for the brain. The best way to support ourselves here is to create an environment our bodies feel safe in. Removing as many stressors as possible, nourishing ourselves and supporting a calm nervous system with sunshine and sleep.
Conclusion
If you feel medication is the best course of action for you, this article by no means suggests otherwise. These options can be added to your treatment plan whether you are on medication or not.
References:
(1) Depression: the radical theory linking it to inflammation; https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-05261-3
(2) Linking What We Eat to Our Mood: A Review of Diet, Dietary Antioxidants, and Depression; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6769512/
(3) Food, Mood, and Brain Health: Implications for the Modern Clinician; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6170050/
(4) Mood, food, and cognition: role of tryptophan and serotonin; https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26560523/
