Have you heard the phrase ‘you are what you eat’? Most people have. But did you know that it’s more than just a saying, and that it has its roots in real science? The relationship between food, nutrition and mental health is a complicated one, but many studieshave found time and time again that there is a definite link. More than that, there’s also some significant evidence around what parts of nutrition can affect our moods and mental health the most – and why.
How Can Food and Drink Affect How I Feel?
The food we put into our bodies is incredibly important. Not only is it essential fuel to keep our systems all working properly, but it has a huge impact on our hormones, the way we think and the way we feel. Some of the changes our diet brings are small – little lapses in concentration or increased fatigue. But others can be significant. Here are just a few ways your diet can impact your moods and mental health.
Blood sugar levels: If you’ve ever experienced ‘hanger’, then chances are you know what low blood sugar feels like. Low blood sugar can make you feel tired, irritable and depressed, which is why eating regularly is just as important as the nutrition in the food you eat. Eating foods that release energy slowly, you can keep your sugar levels steady and prevent those low dips.
Gut Health: Did you know that your gut and your brain are physically linked? The vagus nerve runs between the two, allowing them to send messages to each other. This means your gut is able to strongly influence the emotional behaviour in your brain, and your brain can alter the type of bacteria living in the gut. Again – you are what you eat! The most important thing here is that around 95% of our serotonin (that happy hormone) is made by bacteria in the gut. So your mental health really is tied to nutrition!
Hydration: If you already live with a mental health problem, it might be harder to find the motivation to drink anything at all, let alone the right amount of fluids. But if you don’t you become dehydrated very quickly, which makes it harder to concentrate or think clearly. It can also cause a drop in mood, and make you feel sluggish.
Fruit & Veg: How often do you eat your 5 a day? Ok, that might be more of a rough guide, but it’s a way to make sure you get enough of the minerals and vitamins your body needs on a daily basis. And remember, frozen, tinned and dried fruit & veg all count towards your 5 a day, so you don’t have to spend a fortune on fresh to get the benefits.
Protein: Our bodies need protein. We’ve evolved to get the nourishment and minerals we need from a wide variety of foods, and protein is a big part of that, especially when it comes to our mental health. That’s because protein contains amino acids, which your brain needs to produce neurotransmitters and regulate your thoughts and feelings. Now we’re not saying you have to eat meat to get the right amount of protein. You can also find it in legumes, nuts, seeds, milk, fish, eggs, cheese and soya – so there’s lots of options!
Reduced Inflammation: Inflammation is a natural tool that the immune system uses to fight threats in the body. Certain foods are known to increase inflammation in the body (mainly saturated fat, sugar and unknown food additives). Current research suggests that people who eat a lot of ultra-processed food struggle with brain health challenges, like cognitive decline and dysfunction in the hippocampus and amygdala. The hippocampus helps manage stress and produce dopamine, while the amygdala regulates your fight or flight response. If these two areas can’t work effectively, it means you’ll experience chronic stress and struggle with low mood.
Healthy Fats: Just like protein, our bodies need a variety of healthy fats to function properly. That means things like Omega-3, omega-6 and fatty acids. These help your body to absorb other vitamins properly, but your body can’t make them itself. It needs you to ingest them through diet, and provides a natural drive to do so. You can find healthy fats in things like nuts and seeds, avocados, oily fish, vegetable oils and even whole eggs.
Food and Mental Health
As human beings our relationship with food is complicated. It can be nourishing, enjoyable, social and soothing, which is why we often reach for food to help boost our mood, celebrate or even inspire a certain feeling. The problem comes when there’s a hitch in the relationship. Your diet influences your mood, your mood can influence your eating habits and lead you to unhealthy choices, which can impact your mental health. It’s a vicious cycle of eating foods that can make your mental health worse.
It can be difficult to eat well when you’re struggling with poor mental health, but it does have a big impact. If you’re struggling with nutrition, we have resources available in our Melp app that can help.