What you eat effects the brain

Swiss researchers published a study in the journal Cellular Physiology and Biochemistry that outlines how nutrition activates hormonal, neurotransmitter and signaling pathways in the gut that modulate brain functions like appetite, sleep, energy intake, neurogenesis, reward mechanisms, cognitive function and mood. In addition, they track research that shows folks who have insulin resistance or Type 2 diabetes are at a much greater risk of bodywide inflammation, depression and anxiety, perhaps even dementia.

So, what can applying the principles of nutritional psychiatry to your daily life do for you?

1. Healthy foods such as olive oil, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, skinless poultry, nonfat dairy and unprocessed meat reduce the risk of developing depression and may improve symptoms if you are contending with it. The Japanese diet and Mediterranean diet provide guidance for your daily, depression-defeating menus. Check out “Japanese Health Secrets You Can Adopt Today for a Healthier Lifestyle” and “The Mediterranean Diet Formula” at DoctorOz.com.

2. A 2012 study of Veterans Affaurs patients found that depressed folks died, on average, five years earlier than patients without that diagnosis. Depressed folks also lost more years of productive life. In fact, depression was associated with significantly earlier death and more years of productive life lost for all of the 13 causes of death that the researchers looked at: accidents, cerebrovascular issues, diabetes, heart disease, homicide, influenza and pneumonia, liver disease, malignant neoplasms, nephritis, respiratory disease, septicemia and suicide. The researchers lumped all other causes of death together — and there, too, they found depressed patients died sooner.

3. Protecting or restoring the balance in your gut biome through improved nutrition also has an enormous influence on your happiness. A review out of California Institute of Behavioral Neurosciences and Psychology looked at 26 studies and found that “there is a strong association of microbiome function to mental wellbeing.”