Although we commonly associate good nutrition with better physical health, we hardly pay attention to the impact of food on our mental and emotional well-being. The emerging field of Nutritional Psychiatry attests to the growing acceptance of the role of diet in mental health.
It is intriguing that the impact of nutrition on heart health, bone health, liver health, etc. have been studied for a long time, but the study of the impact of food on the wellness of the brain (the master organ!) has been long overdue. This delay can partly be ascribed to the challenges of studying the impact of diet on mental functioning. Studies of this nature are hard to perform and interpret. Our general well-being is the result of many factors, and it is difficult to single out the impact of food on mental health. While the link between what we eat and how we feel afterwards can be recognised by most of us at the personal level, the scientific backing to these experiences is a fairly recent phenomenon.
The growing incidence of depression around the world has compelled us to examine mental health through every lens, including that of nutrition. Data indicates that the deficiency of nutrients like Vitamin B12 and Omega 3 fats are linked to increased risk of depression and suicide. These correlations have made it all the more important to examine the link between food and mental health.
The Women’s Brain Initiative at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York compared the brain scans of people following different kinds of diets. Two different diet types were studied – the Mediterranean diet and the typical American diet. The difference in the brain scans of these two groups is fascinating. The scans of those on the Mediterranean diet showed a younger looking brain with a larger volume and greater metabolic activity. These parameters are also known to protect against dementia.
In 2017, Deakin University in Australia conducted the first randomised controlled trial – the most rigorous format for experimentation – to see if changes in diet were helpful in the treatment of depression. The study group participants who followed the Mediterranean diet for 12 weeks reported feeling less anxious and to be in a better frame of mind. The group that was not provided the dietary change advisory did not report such a benefit.
A study published in 2016 in the American Journal of Public Health examines interesting data gathered from the longitudinal food diaries of more than 12,000 adults in Australia. Those who ate more fruits and vegetables reported enhanced psychological well-being and increased satisfaction with their lives.
If you’ve been reading my work for some time, you will know that I am not an advocate of the one-size-fits-all diet. Every individual ideally needs to customise their diet to find the perfect prescription. However, in my next piece, I will offer general guidelines to counter age-related degenerative brain disease, among other mental health concerns.
While the benefits of eating right on physical health take a long time to show effect, you can feel the improvement in mental well-being almost immediately after you make certain dietary changes. More on this next week.
Neelanjana Singh
Nutrition Therapist & Wellness Consultant