MENTAL WELLBEING
THE SCIENCE The relationship between food and feelings has come on aeons since Bridget and her Ben & Jerry’s. When researchers at the University of Cardiff attempted to quantify the impact of snacking on fresh fruit versus nibbling on chocolate and crisps, they found that within 10 days, those snacking on junk exhibited more symptoms of low mood and anxiety than the fruit eaters. ‘High-sugar, high-fat foods stimulate a flash of hormones in the brain’s pleasure centres, which is followed by a crash,’ says Dr Mark Perera, senior GP at Babylon Health. You might not feel miserable immediately after polishing off a sharing-size bag of M&MS, but if you’re low a few hours later, the sugar crash could be a factor. Dr Perera also points to common deficiencies that can be contributors to poor mental health, including vitamins
B12, C and D, and omega-3.
With your workouts, the benefits are both a short-term high and a long-term lift – and endorphins are the tip of the nice-berg. ‘Exercise releases numerous brain cell mediators, including serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline, which light up the pleasure and reward centres of the brain,’ explains Dr Perera – only, this time, without the comedown. It doesn’t take a lot: in one analysis, published in the American Journal Of Psychiatry, those who trained for just two and a half hours each week had a 31% lower risk of depression than those who didn’t. In clinical studies, regular exercise is shown to be as effective as medication in reducing symptoms of moderate (though not always severe) depression. For many people struggling with their mental wellbeing, getting outside and moving for half an hour a day will be an easier task than a total dietary overhaul.
THE WINNER Exercise triumphs here – if only just.