Food for Thought: Your Diet Actually Can Impact Your Mental Health
We tend to believe that what we eat isn’t related to the way we think and feel about ourselves. However, this is not totally true. Indeed, what we eat is related to our mental health. In recent years, there has been an increasing trend of severe obesity worldwide, especially in the United States. Our diet has shifted from foods rich in vegetables and fruits with high content of minerals and vitamins, to ultra-processed food with low contents of fiber and vegetables. What we eat defines the antioxidants present in our body, which are associated with mental health conditions. Some foods rich in antioxidants are zinc, B vitamins, vitamin D and omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids, which also have an anti-inflammatory effect and prevent cellular death.
Regarding zinc, we can get this mineral from certain foods such as beef, pumpkin seeds, oats, cheese, milk, peanut and eggs. This mineral helps to reduce the levels of oxidation that occurs in our body, decreasing inflammation and improving mental health. Good sources of B vitamins are peas, nuts, bananas, oranges milk, eggs and wholegrain breads.
Vitamins of group B are essential for the functioning of our nervous system, improve our mental health and even decrease the chance of getting headaches. Omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids can be obtained from salmon, sardines, walnuts, and certain types of oils such as canola, soybean or flaxseed. These foods help the development of our brain and protect our mental health while even improving our communication skills. Our modern diets also lack adequate levels of fiber since we take in less fruits and vegetables every day.
Which foods should you eat more to get more fiber? You can eat fruits such as pears, strawberries apples, raspberries and avocados. Oats are also an important source of fiber and antioxidants. Regarding vegetables, an increased intake of carrots, beets and broccoli will help you increase your fiber. You may be wondering why fiber is important for mental health since it is usually related to our gut, but a relationship between fiber and the presence of depression has been established, with fiber preventing the presence of these symptoms.
One important food that protects our mental health is yogurt, which balances our gut microbiota. which has been linked to our health balance, including mental health. Yogurts possess a high content of beneficial bacteria such as Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus helveticus, Bifidobacterium longum, and others, which is why yogurt is a source of probiotics. It has been shown that the consumption of probiotics reduces symptoms of anxiety and sadness, reduces the production of stress hormones like cortisol, and increases the production of a neurotransmitter called serotonin. Serotonin is linked to our mood and increases our overall happiness while decreasing the oxidation levels in our body.
Therefore, it is important to understand that what you eat is not only related to your body weight, but it is deeply related to your mental health. So next time you choose your meal, consider what is better for your mental health.
References
Grajek, M., Krupa-Kotara, K., Białek-Dratwa, A., Sobczyk, K., Grot, M., Kowalski, O., & Staśkiewicz, W. (2022). Nutrition and mental health: A review of current knowledge about the impact of diet on mental health. Frontiers in nutrition, 9, 943998. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2022.943998