Nutrition & Mental Health
When 'I' becomes 'We' Illness becomes Wellness.
With last month being #BellLetsTalk and tomorrow being the start of Nutrition Month - Unlock the Potential of Food, I thought it only fitting to discuss the connection between nutrition and mental health.
Mental illness affects 1 in 5 individuals and I think it is important to remember that like physical health EVERYONE has mental health. And like physical health, mental health always needs to be maintained and taken care of. We go to the gym and eat well to prevent cardiovascular disease and diabetes, just as we need to take self-care initiatives towards improving our mental health.
I have been fighting a battle with depression for as long as I can remember. Over the years I have learned that this is not an uncommon thing for members of my family and have learned many different strategies for working to improve my mental health.
For me depression feels like a gray cloud hanging over me - some days it is really big and others it is tiny. It makes it hard to wake up and get motivated and sometimes it makes it hard to see my self-worth. It influences my relationships, my work, how I feel about myself and even how I eat. However, I have turned to many different strategies to help improve my mental health, just as I do my physical health.
[I find this video a great summary of what depression feels like https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiCrniLQGYc]
By now I would say most of us have heard of the positive benefits exercise has on physical and mental health. Yet the positive link with good nutrition and mental health is rarely discussed. When it comes to food there can be some negative impacts on mental health (think about food insecurity, eating disorders, etc.) but there are also so many positives to healthy eating and improved mental health.
Our brains are complex machines that require lots water and a wide range of macro- and micro- nutrients. Every nutrient directly or indirectly influences mental health. Even nutrient deficiencies can have mental health impacts. The macronutrients (carbohydrates, etc.) we eat fuel our brains while the vitamins and minerals (micronutrients) are involved in the development of neurotransmitters and pathways that allow our brain to function and communicate. If we are not eating a balanced diet then our brain may not be getting all that it needs to function properly. There are also food that can cause damage to our bodies and brains (like trans fats), which all plays a role in brain function and mental health outcomes.
Aside from healthy eating there is research looking into several other areas of nutrition and mental health, like vitamin D and probiotics (just to name a few). There is evidence suggesting that probiotics can improve mental health outcomes (Mohammadi et al., 2016). This could be due to the neurotransmitters the bacteria in our gut produce and their influence on the brain.
We can also look at how food brings people together and used in many celebrations. This act of coming together and celebrating over foods that comfort us can provide huge benefits to mental health outcomes due to the socialization these experiences provide.
Nutrition can also be influenced by mental health. For example, many psychotropic medications (like antidepressants) cause side effects that might influence a persons eating habits - such as weight gain, constipation, dry mouth, etc. Mental health conditions can also lead someone to be in a situation of food insecurity - leading to poor intake and further mental health decrements.
Nutrition and mental health are intertwined and their influence over one another needs to be carefully considered. More research needs to be done in this area, but at this time we can see how the theme of Nutrition Month is fitting to this topic. Nutrition has a huge influence over mental health and visa versa - by unlocking the potential of food to fuel, prevent, heal, discover and bring us together we can improve everyone's mental health.
References
Mohammadi AA, Jazayeri S, Khosravi-Darani K, Solati Z, Mohammadpour N, Asemi Z, et al. The effects of probiotics on mental health and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in petrochemical workers. Nutr Neurosci. 2016 Nov;19(9):387-95. Abstract available from: https://www-ncbi-nlm-nih-gov.libproxy.stfx.ca/pubmed/25879690
Mental illness affects 1 in 5 individuals and I think it is important to remember that like physical health EVERYONE has mental health. And like physical health, mental health always needs to be maintained and taken care of. We go to the gym and eat well to prevent cardiovascular disease and diabetes, just as we need to take self-care initiatives towards improving our mental health.
I have been fighting a battle with depression for as long as I can remember. Over the years I have learned that this is not an uncommon thing for members of my family and have learned many different strategies for working to improve my mental health.
For me depression feels like a gray cloud hanging over me - some days it is really big and others it is tiny. It makes it hard to wake up and get motivated and sometimes it makes it hard to see my self-worth. It influences my relationships, my work, how I feel about myself and even how I eat. However, I have turned to many different strategies to help improve my mental health, just as I do my physical health.
[I find this video a great summary of what depression feels like https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiCrniLQGYc]
By now I would say most of us have heard of the positive benefits exercise has on physical and mental health. Yet the positive link with good nutrition and mental health is rarely discussed. When it comes to food there can be some negative impacts on mental health (think about food insecurity, eating disorders, etc.) but there are also so many positives to healthy eating and improved mental health.
Our brains are complex machines that require lots water and a wide range of macro- and micro- nutrients. Every nutrient directly or indirectly influences mental health. Even nutrient deficiencies can have mental health impacts. The macronutrients (carbohydrates, etc.) we eat fuel our brains while the vitamins and minerals (micronutrients) are involved in the development of neurotransmitters and pathways that allow our brain to function and communicate. If we are not eating a balanced diet then our brain may not be getting all that it needs to function properly. There are also food that can cause damage to our bodies and brains (like trans fats), which all plays a role in brain function and mental health outcomes.
Aside from healthy eating there is research looking into several other areas of nutrition and mental health, like vitamin D and probiotics (just to name a few). There is evidence suggesting that probiotics can improve mental health outcomes (Mohammadi et al., 2016). This could be due to the neurotransmitters the bacteria in our gut produce and their influence on the brain.
We can also look at how food brings people together and used in many celebrations. This act of coming together and celebrating over foods that comfort us can provide huge benefits to mental health outcomes due to the socialization these experiences provide.
Nutrition can also be influenced by mental health. For example, many psychotropic medications (like antidepressants) cause side effects that might influence a persons eating habits - such as weight gain, constipation, dry mouth, etc. Mental health conditions can also lead someone to be in a situation of food insecurity - leading to poor intake and further mental health decrements.
Nutrition and mental health are intertwined and their influence over one another needs to be carefully considered. More research needs to be done in this area, but at this time we can see how the theme of Nutrition Month is fitting to this topic. Nutrition has a huge influence over mental health and visa versa - by unlocking the potential of food to fuel, prevent, heal, discover and bring us together we can improve everyone's mental health.
References
Mohammadi AA, Jazayeri S, Khosravi-Darani K, Solati Z, Mohammadpour N, Asemi Z, et al. The effects of probiotics on mental health and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in petrochemical workers. Nutr Neurosci. 2016 Nov;19(9):387-95. Abstract available from: https://www-ncbi-nlm-nih-gov.libproxy.stfx.ca/pubmed/25879690
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