Mental Health Awareness Month may be over, but any time is a good time to reflect on how we are taking care of our psyche. Maybe we spent more time walking outside as the weather improved. Or perhaps we visited family and friends for weekend cookouts and activities. Some of us talked about our feelings freely and maybe even made that first therapy appointment.
But what did we eat?
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), mental health is defined as, “our emotional, psychological, and social well-being." Mental illness is common, affecting more than 50 percent of United States citizens in their lifetime, and often may be attributed to early life experiences, chronic disease, biological or chemical factors, alcohol or drug abuse, and isolation.
New and emerging research around diet and depression -- or “nutritional psychiatry” -- suggests a cyclical relationship between our meals and how good we feel. From the organs that cause our fight-or-flight response to our diverse gut microbiome, our bodies receive signals from the quality and quantity of the food we eat – and here is how it responds.
Our hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis includes glands that release hormones which help the body respond to stress. It also regulates digestion, immunity, energy, mood, and sexuality with different hormones, like cortisol. Excessive cortisol production is present in 60 percent of individuals with depression, according to a 2021 study by W. Marx et. al., published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry. A 2022 study by M.A. Shabbir et. al., about “the inflammatory theory of depression” suggests that when our mental health is jeopardized, our body’s core processes begin to function differently.
Our gut microbiome includes all the living microorganisms or microbes in our digestive tract. These diverse and beneficial bacteria help us digest foods and send signals about those foods all over the body. “The gut microbiome is one of the first bodily systems to interact with consumed food,” Marx’s team writes. When the concentration of beneficial bacteria is out of balance, many bodily systems, including our mental health, can also get out of balance.
While there is more at play than just the HPA axis and the gut microbiome, we need to know what steps to take to potentially improve mental health with our meals. Poor diet may create a vicious cycle, according to Kris-Etherton and associates in the journal Nutritional Review: poor diet may increase symptoms of depression which, in turn, may result in a poor diet.
What does “poor diet” mean?
Marx and colleagues state the Western, high-fat diet may negatively impact mental health status in animal models. This may look like high levels of inflammation or even poor memory. The Western diet may include solid fats like butter, coconut oil or shortening, fried or breaded products, and carbohydrates and sugars from foods like rolls, cookies, chips, or sugary sodas.
We all see a lot of quick fixes for poor mood in the media. Supplements continue to grow in popularity, from probiotics and prebiotics to powdered greens and vitamin D. However, current research does not show any positive effects on depression from taking these supplements, according to Kris-Etherton and associates.
In addition, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not monitor supplement manufacturing and you may not actually be getting what you pay for. If you are interested in learning more about ways to identify quality supplements and what happens in our bodies when we consume these supplements, talk to your primary care physician and ask about consulting with a dietitian.
No one food is shown to cause or improve mental illness, but there are some steps you can take today to boost your mood with food:
Eat the rainbow of fruits and vegetables
- Brighter and naturally occurring colors essentially mean more beneficial micronutrients to help our noggins – such as berries, peppers, tomatoes, greens (which are all in season right now). Don’t worry – bananas and mushrooms are still nutritious.
- These are your prebiotics – feeding the good bacteria in your gut
- Pickled produce is also a source of probiotics
Brown vs. white
- Make half your grains whole grains – whole wheat bread, brown rice, wild rice blends, quinoa, farro, and more
- White bread is still nutritious! However, more fiber is shown to help with fatigue and mood disturbances, which is why half your grains should be whole grains (Kris-Etherton et al., 2021)
- Your brain needs carbohydrates (sugar) from foods to function properly and efficiently, so extreme restriction of carbohydrates (which is common in many popular diets) is not recommended
- Like the rainbow of fruits and veggies, these are your prebiotics – feeding the good bacteria in your gut
Omega-3 fatty acids
- Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties that may be beneficial in prevention and treatment of mood disorders based on recent research
- Fatty fish like tuna, salmon or sardines
- Walnuts, flaxseeds and pumpkin seeds
Low fat dairy
- Greek yogurt and kefir: These, too, are probiotics – introducing good bacteria and getting rid of the bad ones
- Cheese like feta, mozzarella, or cottage cheese: Great additions to salads, snacks and more
The information provided in this blog post does not replace healthcare or medical advice. Please consult with your primary care physician, therapist, or dietitian for further information.
Connect with a Registered Dietitian
References
Kris-Etherton PM, Petersen KS, Hibbeln JR, Hurley D, Kolick V, Peoples S, Rodriguez N,W Woodward Lopez G. Nutrition and behavioral health disorders: depression and anxiety. Nutr Rev. 2021 Feb 11;79(3):247-260. doi: 10.1093/nutrit/nuaa025.
Marx, W., Lane, M., Hockey, M., Aslam, H., Berk, M., Walder, K., Borsini, A., Firth, J., Pariante, C. M., Berding, K., Cryan, J. F., Clarke, G., Craig, J. M., Su, K.-P., Mischoulon, D., Gomez-Pinilla, F., Foster, J. A., Cani, P. D., Thuret, S., Jacka, F. N. (2021). Diet and depression: Exploring the biological mechanisms of action. Molecular Psychiatry, 26(1), 134–150. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-020-00925-x
Mental Health. (n.d.). About Mental Health. CDC. Retrieved April 20, 2023, from https://www.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/learn/index.htm
Shabbir, M. A., Mehak, F., Khan, Z. M., Ahmed, W., Haq, S. M. A. U., Khan, M. R., Bhat, Z. F., & Aadil, R. M. (2022). Delving the role of nutritional psychiatry to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic induced stress, anxiety and depression. Trends in Food Science & Technology, 120, 25–35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2021.12.035