Kelly Scholtz, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Association for Dietetics in SA says: “There are many established links between nutrition and mental health that are related to specific nutrients and their effects on the brain.
“Anyone experiencing negative emotions will likely be less motivated to make healthy food choices and more likely to make poor food choices. Our food choices and emotions affect our health outcomes.”
This means that dietary approaches can be used as a complementary intervention along with standard pharmaceutical and other treatments for mental health issues, Scholtz said.
The Association Among Emotions and Food Choices in First-Year College Students Using Mobile-Ecological Momentary Assessments study revealed a link between eating sweets, salty snacks and drinking sweetened beverages with feeling lonely or bored.
Poor eating choices might lead to mood issues. Our blood sugar and insulin levels jump and then drop when we consume sugary foods and beverages, as well as meals or snacks that are primarily composed of refined carbohydrates. Low blood sugar frequently irritates and may even cause anxiety symptoms.
Perhaps making our food choices while thinking about our brain health is how we can reverse the damage we have been inflicting on ourselves.
When we're experiencing emotional turmoil, we tend to reach for processed meals like burgers or cake that contain trans fats, which are bad for the brain and neurological system. T-fat from the diet is incorporated into brain cell membranes and alters the ability of neurons to communicate. This can diminish mental performance.
For instance, it may be easier to make dietary adjustments than to fix social situations.
Diets lacking in essential vitamins and minerals, such as folate and vitamin B12, can increase your risk of developing depression.
Registered dietitian and Association for Dietetics in SA spokesperson Kgadi Moabelo says: “It’s important to understand that the relationship between nutrition and mental health is complex. Our physical health and mental well-being are inextricably linked.”
Therefore, when we eat well for our bodies, we’re inevitably also eating well for our minds.
Scholtz and Moabelo concur and suggest the following:
- Eat a variety of foods. This is the best way to prevent nutritional deficiencies that might lead to mood disorders or worsen existing mental health concerns. A minimum of five fruits and vegetables should be consumed daily as part of a nutrient-rich diet.
- Daily consumption of fruits and vegetables is essential for obtaining the vitamins and minerals our bodies and minds require for optimal health.
- Choose wholegrain options like wholewheat bread, pasta, and brown rice instead of processed carbohydrates.
- Vegetables, fruits, legumes like beans, lentils, or chickpeas, and whole grains are significant sources of dietary fibre. Fibre-rich meals help to sustain brain function.
- Instead of using animal fats, go for plant-based oils such as those found in nuts, seeds, avocados, olive or canola oil, and nuts.
- Certain nuts, seeds, and oily fish contain omega-3 fatty acids, which are crucial for the health of the brain (such as pilchards, sardines, tuna, or salmon).
- Protein: the brain uses amino acids, which are employed as the building blocks of proteins, to control thoughts and emotions. A good source of protein for our daily diets is lean meat and poultry, fish, soy-based foods, nuts, seeds, legumes, eggs, and dairy products.
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