What to eat for better mental health

Have you ever noticed that what you eat seems to affect your mood?

That some foods make you feel more positive, while others make you sluggish and down? Well, it turns out this isn’t just your imagination - it’s actually backed by science!

Nutritional psychiatry, or the study of how food affects mental health and well-being, is a growing area of medicine.

It’s confirming what many people and traditional cultures have intuitively known for years – that we really are what we eat!

Food affects mood two ways - it provides nutrients needed for brain chemicals, and it also affects gut health. 95% of serotonin (happy hormone) is made in your gut, and the vagus nerve connects the gut and brain, meaning gut health directly impacts mood.

The Food and Mood Institute in Australia conducted one of the first-ever clinical trials aiming to see if changing diet could improve mood (the SMILES trial).

They found that a massive 30% of people with severe depression improved after 12 weeks of dietary changes, compared to 8% of people who received emotional support only.

Interestingly, people’s grocery bills in the diet group actually dropped - they also saved money by eating better!

SMILES used the MODIMED diet - high in vegetables (five servings/day, with at least one of these being leafy greens), fruits (three servings/day), whole grains (five - eight servings/day), olive oil (60ml/day), nuts (one serving/day) and dairy (two - three servings/day).

Legumes, fish, red meat and eggs were all eaten several days per week.

Other large studies have found similar results - people who eat a whole food, mostly plant-based diet are 30-50% less likely to suffer from anxiety and depression.

In contrast, people eating diets high in red/processed meat, refined grains, added sugar, high saturated fat (and low in fresh fruit and vegetables) are significantly more likely to develop depression.

Some of the most important nutrients for mental health are iron, selenium, zinc, folate, B6, B12, omega 3, thiamine, vitamin A, magnesium, potassium, vitamin D and vitamin C.

Deficiencies in any of these can have a negative effect on mental health, however blood tests are not reliable (or available) for most, with the exception of iron, B12, and folate (and potentially vit D, zinc, and selenium - although in New Zealand these tests are not funded).

This means that focusing on getting plenty from our diets is crucial - and making sure our diet is providing the right fuel for our brains!

A great paper from a nutritional psychiatrist in the US created an ‘anti-depressant food scale’, ranking foods based on how rich they were in these nutrients.

Plant based foods consistently came out tops, in particular leafy greens, brassica, nuts/seeds, and fruit. Most animal-based foods scored poorly, with the exception of seafood and organ meat (which still scored over ⅔ lower than green veges). 

So how can you eat to improve your mood?

✔️Focus on increasing intake of veges (especially dark green ones), brightly coloured fruits, seeds, nuts, olive oil, legumes and whole grains. Don’t forget your 5+ a day of veges in particular, and snack on nuts and fruit rather than junk food or baking

✔️Cut back on refined grains (swap these for whole grains), added sugar, red meat, and processed foods.

✔️Aim to eat mostly whole foods, a diversity of foods (‘eat the rainbow’), and make your diet mostly plants

See what difference you notice – there’s nothing to lose ❤️