HOW FOOD MAKES BODY AND MIND SAY ‘YUM!’
How, what and why we eat contributes holistically to our mental health
Food, glorious, food. If life were only that simple that we could eat anything we want without having any impact on our health. However, as personal experience might suggest, that is absolutely not the case. Researchers and clinicians continue to unravel the complex relationships between the nutritional content of foods, our eating behaviors and potential mental health disorders.
Notably, nutrition depletion can mimic many symptoms of a mental health disorder, such as anxiety, depression, stress intolerance, poor mood or inability to sleep. These potential relationships are important, as one in four Americans have a mental illness of some degree.
Of these, almost one in five Americans have an anxiety disorder and almost seven percent have major depression, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. One in 10 Americans take antidepressants. While diet is not a cure all, great nutrition can help alleviate and manage symptoms to help individuals live more successful lives.
In our own work with individuals in a residential mental health care setting, as they transition to greater independence in their living situations, we apply this new knowledge and many of the strategies that can help residents lead healthier and fulfilling lives.
Nutrition does affect mood
One explanation for the role of nutrition in how we think and feel is that the foods we eat contain nutrients that are precursors to the neurotransmitters or chemical messengers in our brains. These neurotransmitters include: dopamine; serotonin; choline, a precursor to acetylcholine; and various endorphins, which are peptide hormones that can relieve pain and create a positive mood. For example, high levels of dopamine can improve mood, alertness and one’s ability to cope with stress, while low levels are associated with higher levels of depression and other mental health disorders.
Overall, a diet that includes protein, healthy fats, vegetables and complex, high-nutrient carbohydrates is associated with better mood and less depressive symptoms. On the other hand, a diet high in refined and processed foods is associated with increased risk of depressive symptoms and lower mood.
Diets with refined, processed foods are thought to trigger inflammation, which can lead to a disruption in biochemical processes throughout our bodies. These disruptions can result in a variety of clinical issues, from diabetes and hardening of the arteries to cognitive problems and mental health disorders. It is felt that inflammation itself may mediate depressive symptoms, posing a 29 percent to 41 percent greater risk for clinical depression, according to a study by Pharmacological Reviews, Emory University School of Medicine.
A familiar culprit that we easily recognize is the excessive refined sugars in many modern diets, which can cause a cascade of biochemical reactions that result in chronic inflammation in the body. One study showed that a higher national dietary intake of refined sugars was predictive of a worse two-year outcome for schizophrenia and greater prevalence of depression.
Taking control
Personally and socially, food is oftentimes centered around eating unhealthy “comfort foods” that are always within easy reach. And with the holiday season in full swing, healthy food choices may not be the first that come to mind.
The key is to put our knowledge of nutrition, and its relationship to mood and behavior, at the service of a holistic approach to life. We need to make wise choices that are also satisfying ones, nutritionally and because they demonstrate our progress in achieving important life goals, whether it’s keeping our weight in control or relating better to others.
Help is available in many forms. We can seek out classes or personal coaching to better understand our relationship with food, learn how to shop the grocery store from a nutritional perspective, and develop healthy, satisfying meal plans. Activities that restore our relationships to our bodies and our minds and involve exercise and/ or meditation are also helpful.
The result is an energized lifestyle that harmonizes a healthy mind with a healthy body.
Laura Leblanc is a dietitian at Rose Hill Center, a Holly, Mich.-based residential psychiatric treatment and rehabilitation facility offering a comprehensive range of services for adults with serious mental illness. For more info, visit rosehillcenter.org