Emotional Wellness
How a Proper Diet Affects Your Mental Health
Eating the right foods isn’t always easy, but does payoff. Not only can the proper diet help you keep your weight under control, but it can also improve mood, reduce anxiety, improve concentration, and more. This is because a nutritious diet can provide you with the nourishment necessary to maintain your energy levels throughout the day—in your brain and body.
Diet and mental health are intimately connected. Read on to learn more about how what you’re eating can impact your mood, mind, and more.
The Link Between Diet and Mental Health
According to Harvard Health Publishing, one way the food you put in your body affects your mental health is through serotonin. Serotonin is a natural chemical found in your body that transmits signals to help control moods, among other functions. It’s also the target of many anti-depression and anti-anxiety medications, reinforcing its connection to mental health.
Scientists think up to 95% of your body’s serotonin supply is produced in the intestines. That’s why the nervous system in your GI tract is sometimes called your “second brain.” Not only does serotonin help balance your mood, but the chemical also helps you properly digest food and absorb nutrients.
Your natural serotonin levels do have some help, though. If you’re familiar with probiotics, then you know that there are “good” bacteria in your digestive system. These bacteria help produce serotonin, protect your intestinal lining, control inflammation, improve nutrient absorption, and activate neural pathways that are connected directly to the brain. What you eat greatly influences the type and quantity of bacteria that exist in your intestines—and thus your serotonin.
How to Eat Better to Support Mental Health
Eating well-rounded meals is not just good for your waistline, it can boost your mental health. In general, make sure to consume plenty of fruits and vegetables, avoid processed or overly sugary foods, keep salt levels within the healthy range, and make sure your diet is overall balanced. This will help your body and brain run smoothly.
If you’re living with mental health concerns on top of wanting to eat healthier, ask your doctor or certified dietician about what foods could benefit you. Each person is different, but there has been research showing that specific foods can help with certain mental health issues, such as anxiety or lack of focus. Just call them “brain food”!
Foods That May Help with Anxiety
If you’ve ever confused a blood sugar crash for anxiety, this list is for you. Below is a list of foods that research suggests may help with anxiety. Please note that not everyone responds to certain “brain” foods in the same way, so some of these foods may work for one person but not for another.
- Chamomile: This flower, typically consumed as a tea, has been shown to have properties that battle anxiety and depression. Drink some just before bed if worry or stress tend to keep you awake–it has sleep-boosting benefits as well.
- Yogurt: Both regular and Greek yogurts, like other fermented foods, are full of the good bacteria mentioned earlier that help to reduce inflammation and increase your digestive system’s production of serotonin.
- High-magnesium foods: Magnesium helps promote muscle relaxation and can help relieve symptoms of anxiety. Seek out foods naturally high in magnesium, such as leafy greens, whole grains, and nuts.
- Salmon: Fatty fish, such as plate-favorite salmon, are high in omega-3 fatty acids and brain healthy food. Recent research suggests that omega-3 fatty acids may be effective in reducing symptoms of anxiety.
- Almonds and avocados: Both almonds and avocados contain essential B vitamins, which have been shown to reduce stress in both healthy people and those more at risk of mood fluctuations.
Trying to find healthy foods doesn’t need to give you stress or anxiety—and they can even help with those conditions! Try incorporating one or more of the above foods into your diet to see which brain healthy foods feel right to you.
(Healthy) Brain Food
Brain healthy foods have the right nutrients to help your body run optimally. These are foods you already should be including in your diet, such as whole grains, legumes, vegetables, plant proteins, and fruits. However, these are not the only foods that are good for the brain. Here are some other suggestions for food and drinks that can supplement brain health:
- Caffeinated coffee or tea: While the caffeinated versions of tea and coffee won’t qualify as foods that help with anxiety (they can actually cause it), they are well known for improving brain power. There are studies that show that increased caffeine consumption can lead to better performance on cognitive tests. The downside? If you have too much caffeine, it can make you anxious and keep you awake.
- Walnuts: Many varieties of nuts are good for you, but walnuts get special mention as brain healthy food thanks to a 2015 study that examined the relationship between walnuts and cognitive function. This study found that increased consumption of walnuts was related with improved cognitive testing scores. Scientists suggest this may be because they have high amounts of a nutrient called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a type of omega-3 fatty acid. In addition to its brain benefits, ALA is known for helping to lower blood pressure and clean out the arteries.
- Pumpkin seeds: If you want a quick dose of multiple brain-healthy nutrients, snack on some pumpkin seeds for zinc, iron, copper, magnesium, and other vitamins and minerals.
- Blueberries: Blueberries are popular as a lower-sugar fruit, but they also offer plenty of antioxidants and provide anti-inflammatory effects thanks to their high level of anthocyanins.
As you shape your diet to support your weight loss journey, consider adding brain healthy foods into the mix. While it’s important to eat foods that support your physical health, your mental health must be nurtured, too.
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Final Notes
There is a strong connection between diet and mental health. As you design your personalized diet, turn to healthy, unprocessed foods for a boost in emotional well-being and cognition. If you have a specific mental health concern, work with your doctor to identify specific dietary changes or medications that can support your long-term mental health.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does diet affect your mood?
Diet affects your mood by influencing the health of your digestive system, including by interacting with gut bacteria in your intestines. These bacteria produce most of your body’s serotonin, a neurochemical that helps digest food and balance moods. Disturbances there can directly affect your emotions and other mental processes. By following a healthy, well-balanced diet that supports your gut health, you can potentially improve your mood over time.
Can a poor diet lead to anxiety and depression?
Scientists think that a poor diet can influence mental or emotional issues such as anxiety and depression. Eating unhealthy foods can throw off the production of serotonin and other neurotransmitters and interfere with your gut health. Additionally, most of us simply don’t feel good when we stick to a poor diet—feeling fatigue or sluggishness after eating is common with nutritionally-poor food.
What is emotional eating?
Emotional eating is when you eat not because you’re hungry, but because you seek to make yourself feel better emotionally. Many people do it when anxious or depressed, but it can also happen if you’re celebrating or even just plain bored. It’s often not even a conscious decision but an instinctive way to self-soothe.
Eating this way is especially damaging to weight control. It can potentially lead to body image issues which, in turn, can lead to even more emotional eating. There are several ways to help control emotional eating. For instance, you might keep a food diary, practice mindful eating (i.e., consciously think about whether you’re really hungry before eating), and keep healthy, low-calorie snacks on hand for moments of weakness.
If you’re struggling to lose weight or find it hard to control your cravings, consider a prescription weight loss medication. Before taking any prescription weight loss medication, be sure to do your research and speak with a doctor to determine whether it’s right for you.
