Diet affects mental health, and nutritional psychiatry is built on that fact. Changing what people eat can ease stress, anxiety and depression. It often has fewer side effects than long courses of drugs.
Summary: In recent years, a field called nutritional psychiatry has grown fast. Researchers now see that people living with mental health disorders may benefit from changes in diet. Mental health problems are also hard to treat with drugs. Treatment often lasts a long time and causes many side effects. Changes in diet can help with stress, anxiety, depression, and more. It has rightly been said that you become what you eat. Your diet can affect mental health in many ways. It can directly change how the body makes neurotransmitters (the brain’s chemical messengers). It can also cause mood changes, affect the circadian rhythm (the body’s daily clock), change gut bacteria, and more. Diet can affect mood and mental well-being. So food can also be used to manage mental health disorders. That means anyone living with depression, anxiety, and other mental health problems must make changes in diet. The role of diet in mental health cannot be ignored. Most mental health problems tend to be chronic and even lifelong. In recent years, nutritional therapy in psychiatry has gained significant importance. That is because researchers have found a few things. Science has found that the gut makes 90% of serotonin. Serotonin is one of the most vital brain chemicals for mood and mental health. Science has also seen the role of gut bacteria, or microbiota, in mental well-being. The gut is so crucial for mental health that researchers now call it the second brain. They know that the “gut-brain” axis can affect many brain functions.
Can changing your diet help depression?
Many studies show that diet can raise the risk of depression. People with metabolic disorders are also more likely to develop depression. So studies also confirm that some food choices may help manage depression. Changes in diet are especially useful in mild to moderate depression. One good way to manage depression is to switch to the Mediterranean diet. Studies show that eating fresh vegetables and legumes may help. We do not recommend refined grains for our patients. Eating fewer processed foods is also good for mental health. The landmark HELFIMED trial showed that the Mediterranean diet can help significantly reduce depression. This was especially true when it was combined with fish oil or omega-3 supplements. Our version of it is vegetables, nuts, fish, red meat, real olive oil and dairy, without the grains. Red meat and fish are good protein for our patients.
What should you eat, and avoid, for stress and anxiety?
Stress and anxiety are quite common mental health problems. They may be less severe than depression, but more people have them. Studies show that some food choices may raise the risk of stress and anxiety. So, to reduce these problems, experts advise cutting back on alcohol, caffeine, and added sugars. People living with anxiety should especially try to eat less sugar. Studies show that sugar can be quite addictive and can even cause withdrawal syndrome. Other studies show that too much saturated fat may also cause mental health problems. Foods that reduce inflammation are especially good for mental health. These include fruits and vegetables rich in fiber, and real olive oil. They also include fermented foods rich in probiotics, like yogurt, kimchi, and more.
Which nutrients and eating habits protect mental health?
Prevention is better than treatment. So researchers say that for a healthy life, you should get more of certain nutrients. These include omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B-complex, iron, magnesium, zinc, and vitamin C. Fruits, nuts, seeds, and seafood are good ways to get your daily supply of them. Second, eat foods rich in pro and prebiotics. These include yogurt, buttermilk, garlic, onions, asparagus, and so on. It is also good to eat berries, which are rich in antioxidants. Berries are often linked with romantic moods, and it now appears they really help. Berries are also the richest source of some vitamins, like vitamin C, and of antioxidants. Finally, remember that a disrupted circadian rhythm is one reason mental health problems are so common. So eat meals at regular times and at a fixed time of day. That keeps your circadian rhythm from being disrupted. Also keep a regular sleep time.
Frequently asked questions
How does diet affect mental health?
Food changes the brain in several ways at once. It affects how the body makes neurotransmitters (brain chemical messengers) and shifts mood. It sets the body’s daily clock (the circadian rhythm). It shapes the bacteria that live in the gut. The gut makes about 90% of serotonin, one of the most important mood chemicals. Researchers now describe a gut-brain axis that steers many brain functions.
What is the best diet for mental health?
For depression, one of the best-tested choices is a Mediterranean-style diet. The HELFIMED trial found that a diet rich in vegetables, nuts, lean meat and dairy significantly reduced depression. It worked especially well with fish oil or omega-3 supplements. Cutting back on processed foods, added sugar, alcohol and caffeine helps too. Fermented foods such as yogurt and kimchi feed healthy gut bacteria.
What is the worst eating habit for anxiety?
Eating too much added sugar. People living with anxiety should cut sugar first, because it can be quite addictive. It can even cause withdrawal symptoms. Alcohol and caffeine also raise the risk of stress and anxiety. On the other side of the plate, foods that calm inflammation help. These include fruits and vegetables full of fiber, and fermented foods like yogurt and kimchi.
What daily habits can help improve my mental health?
Eat meals at regular times each day, and go to bed at a regular time. That matters because a disrupted body clock is one reason mental health problems are so common. Build meals around the nutrients the brain needs. These are omega-3 fats, B vitamins, iron, magnesium, zinc and vitamin C. You find them in fruits, nuts, seeds and seafood. Add berries and foods with pro- and prebiotics, such as yogurt, garlic, onions and asparagus.
It is our mission to bring real hope and transformational change to patients who would otherwise be consigned to a lifetime of medications, doctor’s visits, and suffering. We expose misaligned incentives and return the power of health to the individual. We believe empowered individuals change their communities. We use a combination of lifestyle intervention, medication management, and emerging scientific research to help our patients. When you are ready or have questions, reach out. Medical Disclaimer: Keep in mind that the content provided is not direct medical advice for patient care, but is provided for thoughtful discussion.
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