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Healthy eating patterns, such as the Mediterranean diet, are associated with better mental health than “unhealthy” eating patterns, such as the Western diet. The effects of certain foods or dietary patterns on glycaemia, immune activation, and the gut microbiome may play a role in the relationships between food and mood.
- Overview
- Diet and mental health: Is there a link?
- Dietary patterns linked with improved mental health
- Simple diet tips to support your mental health
- Foods and habits that may harm your mental health
- How to implement dietary changes to support mental health
- The bottom line
It’s well-established that diet plays a fundamental role in health and wellbeing.
But as time goes on, we’re learning how diet plays in a role in social, emotional, and mental health specifically.
Though there’s still much to uncover about the underlying relationship between diet and mental health, we have compelling evidence that suggests the two are in fact very closely related (1, 2).
This article is your guide to understanding how your diet may affect your mental health and wellbeing.
We’ll cover what we know so far about the relationship between diet and mental health, look at specific dietary patterns that may improve mental health, and explore simple steps you can take to support a healthy mental state.
•Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
Historically, mental health conditions have been treated with psychiatric therapies like counseling, medication, and sometimes hospitalization.
Today, an emerging field called nutritional psychiatry emphasizes how diet and nutrition affect the way people feel mentally. It aims to support treatment of mental health conditions with diet and lifestyle changes (2).
It’s something we may have taken for granted in the past, but it makes perfect sense that the foods we eat have just as much effect on our brains as they do on the rest of our bodies.
One reason our food choices affect our brains so strongly is that our gastrointestinal system — or what’s more commonly referred to as “the gut” — is actually very closely connected to the brain.
The gut is home to trillions of living microbes that have many functions in the body, such as synthesizing neurotransmitters that send chemical messages to the brain to regulate sleep, pain, appetite, mood, and emotion.
In fact, there’s such an intricate network of interactions between the two that the gut has been nicknamed the “second brain.” Formally, the relationship between the two is called the gut-brain connection or gut-brain axis (3, 4, 5).
For depression: The Mediterranean diet
In the past few years, multiple studies have observed links between dietary patterns, gut health, and the risk of depression (11, 12, 13, 14). One study found that a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes and low in red and processed meats was associated with 10% lower odds of depressive symptoms (15). At least two landmark studies directly measured the Mediterranean diet’s ability to reduce measurements of depression in experimental study groups with promising results (16, 17). Not all studies on the topic found such striking results, though, and more human trials are still needed. Nevertheless, the early evidence is compelling (18, 19). Some health agencies are even beginning to recommend a Mediterranean-like diet to support gut health and lower the risk of depression (20). To follow a Mediterranean diet, increase your intake of (14, 21): •fruits •vegetables •fish •nuts •legumes •olive oil •dairy products A Mediterranean diet limits (14, 21): •fried foods •processed meats •baked goods •sweetened beverages Remember that choosing an eating pattern rooted in the principles of the Mediterranean diet doesn’t have to mean giving up your cultural foods. In fact, it’s important that your eating habits incorporate foods that are easy to access locally and meaningful to you culturally or personally. For example, learn more about giving the Mediterranean diet a Caribbean twist here.
For stress and anxiety: Limit alcohol, caffeine, and sugary foods
There are a few substances in particular that might exacerbate anxiety symptoms: alcohol, caffeine, and added sugars (22, 23). What’s more, research has observed correlations between anxiety and a high intake of saturated fat, low intake of fruit, and poor diet quality overall (24, 25, 26, 27). If you notice you’re feeling particularly stressed or anxious, you may want to adjust your diet as part of your treatment plan. Consider reducing your intake of alcohol, caffeine, and added sugars. Instead, choose more foods that may reduce inflammation and stress throughout the body, such as fiber-rich fruits and veggies, unsaturated fats, and bacteria-laden fermented foods (22, 28, 29, 30).
For mood and mental well-being: A nutrient-dense diet
To improve your mood, one of the best things you can do in terms of diet is simply to eat a well-balanced diet that contains a variety of health-promoting nutrients. Though researchers are still exploring the relationships between food and mental health, there are multiple studies that support eating a high-quality, nutrient-dense diet for an improved mood (31, 32). For example, three studies found that eating more fruits and vegetables is linked with less worry, lower tension, and greater life satisfaction, while a literature review linked higher diet quality with improved mood (33, 34, 35). Want to make your diet more nutrient-dense but not sure where to start? Check out Healthline’s guide to healthy eating in real life.
If you’re experiencing symptoms of any mental health conditions, you may want to work directly with a specialist, like a psychiatrist or psychologist, for individualized care.
On the other hand, if you’re simply looking to make some straightforward changes to your diet to support your emotional health and wellbeing, here are a few suggestions you can start with.
Ultra-processed foods
Ultra-processed foods are those that have undergone industrial processing techniques. They tend to be higher in calories, salt, added sugar, and unsaturated fats and include foods like candy, baked goods, sugar-sweetened beverages, and salty snacks. Eating ultra-processed foods regularly throughout the week has been linked with a higher incidence of symptoms associated with anxiety, depression, and stress (54, 55, 56). Therefore, ultra-processed foods may be best left as an occasional treat. Remember, though, that the term “processed foods” includes a wide variety of products, many of which are more convenient and less expensive than other foods. Not all foods that undergo processing are considered harmful. Learn more here.
Alcohol consumption
Alcohol intake is closely linked with mental health conditions, and the two often become entangled in a feedback loop (57, 58, 59). Those experiencing symptoms of mental health conditions may use alcohol for temporary relief, only to find that it actually exacerbates the symptoms they’re trying to alleviate. In particular, drinking too much alcohol may aggravate symptoms of depression, stress, anxiety, and mood disorders (58, 59, 60). When you’re struggling with mental health, it may be best to abstain from alcohol or drink only in moderation, which The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines as no more than one drink for women or two drinks for men per day (61).
Irregular mealtimes
The time intervals at which we eat throughout the day have been shown to influence our food choices, circadian rhythm, inflammation, and even the gut microbiome — all of which may affect mental health (29, 62). A recent study including nearly 4,500 adult workers found that irregular meal patterns were correlated with higher levels of neuroticism, productivity loss, sleep problems, and more factors that affect mental health (63). Though it’s not always possible, eating at regular mealtimes as often as you can may be one way to balance your mood.
1. Go easy on yourself
Making any type of lifestyle change takes time, and getting from the starting line to the finish point won’t happen overnight. Remember that change is a process. If you slip and stumble along the way, it’s normal and OK.
2. Eat mindfully
One of the most powerful steps you can take towards eating for your mental health is to pay particularly close attention to how various foods and beverages affect the way you feel. If you’re wondering whether or not certain foods could be influencing your mental health, try eliminating them from your diet to see if anything about the way you feel changes. Then, reincorporate them back into your diet and again observe any changes to the way you feel. Personalized approaches like mindful eating are the basis of the growing field of nutritional psychiatry.
3. Start small
Rather than trying to completely reinvent your entire diet overnight, start with making one small change at a time. This could be as simple as aiming to have at least one piece of fruit every day or limiting yourself to a certain number of caffeinated beverages per week.
Nutritional psychiatry is a fascinating field with potential to reshape the way we think about our mental health.
There’s still much to learn, but it’s become increasingly clear that the health of our gut and the bacteria that reside in it play a significant role in mental health management and emotional regulation.
Eating a nutritious diet may be one of the best ways to support gut health, while processed foods are associated with poorer outcomes and should likely be limited.
If you want to make changes to your diet to support your mental health, start with a few small food swaps and build up from there.
How diet can affect your mental wellbeing - BBC Food. The world can throw us some serious challenges to mental health, making us reach for a quick hit of comfort food. But do some of...
Jan 29, 2020 · Researchers found that a healthy diet (the Mediterranean diet as an example) was associated with a significantly lower risk of developing depressive symptoms. So, how should I counsel my patients on diet?
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Sep 18, 2022 · Multiple studies have found a correlation between a diet high in refined sugars and impaired brain function — and even a worsening of symptoms of mood disorders, such as depression. It makes sense.
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Can nutrition affect your mental health? A growing research literature suggests the answer could be yes. Western-style dietary habits, in particular, come under special scrutiny in much of this research.
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Eating well – a balanced diet full of vegetables and nutrients – can improve your sense of well-being and mood. How are diet and mental health linked? The relationship between our diet and our mental health is complex.
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