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Nutrition and Mental Health

Fueling the Mind: The Powerful Link Between Nutrition and Mental Health

There is growing evidence that diet and mental health disorders are closely linked. Improving your nutrition can directly affect mental health symptoms and improve overall mental wellness. The precise number of mental health cases connected to nutrition is unknown. However, depression is one of the most common mental health conditions globally, and a large percentage of the population struggles with undiagnosed anxiety, depression, or both.

While you can’t cure depression with a healthy meal, making healthy eating choices can help improve many mental health symptoms. It’s easy to only think about how food affects the physical body. However, your brain is part of your body, as is your immune system, neurological system, endocrine system, and more. These systems each directly impact areas that we associate with mental health. For example, physical systems regulate stress, mood, and sleep.

Your body relies on a combination of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fats, carbohydrates (for fiber and energy), water, and protein to function. Your body can turn some of them into hormones and neurotransmitters that help the body and mind regulate themselves. Others help cells repair and replace themselves. Without these nutrients, the body works to conserve the available nutrients. Often, this means prioritizing keeping you alive while sacrificing mental well-being and energy levels.

Once you’ve determined that there is a link between your nutrition and mental wellness, it’s time to improve your nutrition. These tips may help:

  • Cut all ultra-processed food if you can.
  • Make foods with healthy fats.
  • Have healthy snacks ready before hunger strikes.
  • Grocery shop with a list.
  • Eat mindfully.
  • Identify mental health food triggers.

Feeling the mood-boosting benefits of an improved diet may take days or weeks. Lasting change is gradual, with daily healthy choices accumulating over time. Eventually, positive results will manifest in both your mind and body.

Maintaining a healthy diet is a key factor, but it’s important to recognize that it is just one of several ways—such as physical activity and cultivating healthy sleep habits—to improve mental well-being.

If you are thinking about making major changes to your diet, it’s important to consult with your primary care physician (PCP) or seek assistance from a trained dietitian. This will help you to ensure you are making healthy choices.

Moreover, if you or a loved one is struggling with mental health symptoms, it’s important to seek help from a trained health professional. 

To access the full article and get more information on nutrition and mental health, click here.

Useful links:

  1. How to Boost Mental Health Through Better Nutrition - American Society for Nutrition https://www.psoriasis.org/dietary-modifications/
  2. Eating Well for Mental Health | Sutter Health
  3. Food and Mental Health | Tips for everyday living | Mind
  4. The Relationship Between Nutrition and Mental Health | American Military University (AMU)