Mental Health and the Link to Nutrition

Since May is Mental Health Awareness Month, I devote every article this month to a different mental health topic and links to nutrition. I will be recycling articles I published two years ago with any updates. I will preface this by saying that not all mental health diagnoses can be treated or prevented with nutrition. However, research shows that nutrition plays a vital role. My main focus looks at nutrition as a preventative factor, especially in children and adolescents. I will also look at nutrition as a factor for improvement or an adjunct to treatment. In some cases, nutritional deficiencies can hinder the benefits of medication.

The words Mental Health appear in orbit between two hands.

I want to emphasize that mental health issues are multifactorial and that diet is not the complete answer. More and more research is showing us that there is a vital link between our minds and our gut.

A few months ago, I attended the funeral of a young woman I've known since childhood. She was in her early thirties and incredibly smart and gifted, with a professional career. Sadly, she had fought significant mental health demons for half of her young life. These prevented her from realizing her talents and value until it became too much to bear. She took her life, an incredible tragedy for any family. Her loss affected many who had tried so hard to love and support her. Tragically, this story repeats itself over and over again. I am overwhelmed to know at least a half dozen families who have been through this same experience. Our youth and young adults are in crisis.

I witnessed the escalation of mental health disease in youth over my last decade in practice. During the Covid-19 years, it skyrocketed. I have believed for twenty years that social media was a major contributing factor. This was finally recognized by the US Surgeon General two years ago when he recommended that warning labels be implemented on social media platforms. My reaction was that the increased risk of anxiety and depression from social media usage was finally recognized, but it came about twenty years too late.

I suggest that in addition to MAHA (Make America Healthy Again), we add MAMHA (Make Adolescents Mentally Healthy Again). This has to begin within the family by going back to some of the basics, such as delaying cell phone usage and restricting access to social media and other apps/websites, not allowing any electronics in bedrooms or private spaces that can't be monitored, and setting up locks and restrictions. Having a daily family meal together, taking vacations away from electronics (camping is great for this), having family game nights, knowing who your kids' friends and parents are, and talking to your kids, letting them know that they can come to you about anything at all and call you anytime, day or night, are all great steps. Finally, consider cleaning up their diet. These articles will give you the research behind this and ways to do it.

I will outline here some of the research that supports the link between the brain and the gut and the significant relationships between an unhealthy diet and poorer mental health. I want to emphasize that a healthy diet should start early in life as a preventive measure. Dietary interventions should begin once a problem is recognized. The mental health disorders most commonly diagnosed in children are

attention deficit hyperactivity disorder/attention deficit disorder (ADHD/ADD),

anxiety,

depression, and

behavior problems.

These will be topics for the following three weeks. Some of these commonly occur together and have increased over time.

Nutritional psychiatry is a new medical field that integrates food and supplements as alternatives or adjuncts to medical treatment. Consider this: your brain never shuts down, and food is what fuels the brain. By feeding our brain optimal nutrition, we can help to keep it functioning optimally. For example, diets high in refined sugars create inflammation and stress in the brain and can worsen depression.

Cartoon of a brain surrounded by fruits, nuts, and vegetables.

Nutritional Psychiatry uses food to help treat mental health disorders

Research is unraveling the connection between what you eat and how you feel. This link also ties into what is in our gut - the mind-gut connection. For example, serotonin, a hormone considered to be a mood regulator, is primarily (90%) produced in our intestines from tryptophan, which is in many foods that we eat. The gastrointestinal tract contains millions of nerve cells, which help to guide emotions, which, in turn, is influenced by the gut microbiome (see articles https://www.feedfuturehealth.com/post/what-is-the-gut-brain-connection (1/22/25), and https://www.feedfuturehealth.com/post/how-to-develop-a-healthy-gut (1/29/25).

Studies show that the risk for certain mood disorders, such as depression, is 25-35% lower in individuals who consume a more traditional diet, like Mediterranean or Japanese diets. This is compared to those who consume a typical Western diet.

Why is this? The more traditional diets are high in vegetables, fruit, seafood, and unrefined grains, and naturally low in processed foods and sugar. They also have low amounts of meat and dairy. Traditional diets are beneficial for the gut microbiome.

People often report feeling better physically and mentally when they clean up their diet and aim for less sugar, fewer refined grains, and more natural, plant-based foods. This can decrease inflammation in your body and influence brain function. A poor diet high in processed foods is associated with a greater risk for anxiety and depression.

Healthy dietary patterns started early in life can have a bearing on the quality of mental health later. One of the most notable changes I observed in my thirty years of pediatric practice was the dramatic increase in mental health disorders in children and adolescents. Some of this paralleled the childhood obesity epidemic, which we know is related to increased consumption of sugar and ultra-processed foods. I suspect these are related.

There are numerous ways in which diet quality can impact mental health. A diet low in nutrient-dense foods can lead to specific nutritional deficiencies such as folate, zinc, and magnesium, which have been linked to depression, the most common mental health condition. Depression affects people of all ages and backgrounds. A diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids helps lower the risk of anxiety.

Diet can also affect signaling factors in the brain, such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). This factor is often lower in patients with depression. Diets high in fat and sugar can reduce these levels.

It is difficult to discern the initial causes since a poor diet can lead to increased mental health issues, while mental health issues can lead to poor eating habits. People who are depressed often tend to overeat.

Research has also found a link between changes in the gut microbiome and disorders such as schizophrenia and psychoses. In other words, changes in the gut microbiome can increase the risk for certain psychiatric disorders.

The International Society for Nutritional Psychiatry Research (ISNPR) has recommended nutritional guidelines for treating mental health disorders. Many of these recommendations center on promoting a healthy gut microbiome through diet. The gut microbiome can be manipulated with fermented foods, prebiotics, probiotics, and fiber. Thus far, their recommendations have promoted Mediterranean and Japanese diets with fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, seafood, and very limited processed foods. Other advice includes specific vitamin supplements such as B vitamins and vitamin D.

Making your mental health a priority starts with a healthy diet.

Research and evidence for treating mental health disorders with nutrition are ever-evolving. Just as in medicine, we are learning that diet plays a substantial role in keeping our bodies and brains healthy. Changing diet is accessible, affordable, and without side effects, unlike traditional treatments. Nutritional therapy can improve both physical and mental health. Dietary intervention is definitely something to consider and discuss with your healthcare professional.