Can diet impact mental health? A new review takes a look at the evidence. Overall, the authors conclude that although nutrition certainly does appear to have an impact, there are still many gaps in our knowledge.
A recent review looks into food and its effect on mental health.
Nutritionáis big business, and the public is growing increasingly interested in how food affects health. At the same time,ámental healtháhas become a huge focus for scientists and the general population alike.
It is no surprise, then, that interest in the impact of food on mental health, or “nutritional psychiatry,” is also gathering momentum.
Supermarkets and advertisements inform us all, at great volume, about superfoods, probiotics, prebiotics, fad diets, and supplements. All of the above, they tell us, will boost our body and our mind.
Read more: How a low carb diet keeps your brain healthy and young?
Despite the confidence of marketing executives and food manufacturers, the evidence linking the food we eat to our state of mind is less clear-cut and nowhere near as definitive as some advertising slogans would have us believe.
At the same time, the authors of the new review explain, “neuropsychiatric disorders represent some of the most pressing societal challenges of our time.” If it is possible to prevent or treat these conditions with simple dietary changes, it would be life changing for millions of people.
This topic is complex and convoluted, but trying to understand the nuances is vital work.
Recently, a group of researchers reviewed the existing research into nutrition and mental health. They have now published their findings in the journaláEuropean Neuropsychopharmacology.
Does your diet influence your mental health? Integrative Psychotherapist Dr. Amanda Morris says yes. Dr. Morris explains the link between mental health and nutrition & how it influences her integrated approach to mental health therapy. Read her article: https://t.co/WSe2KBPSaK pic.twitter.com/8M3FSxTmmp
— Whole30® (@whole30) March 5, 2019
The authors assessed the current evidence to gain a clearer understanding of the true influence of food on mental health. They also looked for holes in our knowledge, uncovering areas that need increased scientific attention.
It makes sense
That diet might affect mood makes good sense. First and foremost, our brains need nutrients to function. Also, the food we eat directly influences other factors that can impact mood and cognition, such as gut bacteria, hormones, neuropeptides, and neurotransmitters.
However, gleaning information about how specific types of diet influence specific mental health issues is incredibly challenging.
The reviewers found, for instance, that a number of large cross-sectional population studies demonstrate a relationship between certain nutrients and mental health. However, it is impossible, from this type of study, to determine whether or not food itself is driving these changes in mental health.
Read more: Surprising reasons why your diet might not work!
At the other end of the scale, well-controlled dietary intervention studies that are better at proving causation tend to recruit smaller numbers of participants and only run for a short period of time.
Lead author Prof. Suzanne Dickson, from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, explains the overarching theme of the team’s findings:
“We have found that there is increasing evidence of a link between a poor diet and the worsening of mood disorders, including anxiety and depression. However, many common beliefs about the health effects of certain foods are not supported by solid evidence.”
Some specifics
One diet that has received a great deal of attention during the past few years is theáMediterranean diet. According to the recent review, there is some relatively strong evidence to suggest that the Mediterranean diet can benefit mental health.
In their review, the authors explain how “a systematicáreviewcombining a total of 20 longitudinal and 21 cross-sectional studies provided compelling evidence that a Mediterranean diet can confer a protective effect against depression.”
A new review of diet and mental health finds that although diet can influence mental health and cognitive function, the evidence of benefit for many diets is weak. #optometry https://t.co/seFz1uTEeO pic.twitter.com/tHdtOG1AEr
— Optometry Times (@OptometryTimes) February 10, 2020
They also found strong evidence to suggest that making some dietary changes can help people with certain conditions. For instance, children with drug resistantáepilepsyáhaveáfewer seizuresáwhen they follow a ketogenic diet, which is high in fat and low inácarbohydrates.
Also, people withávitamináB-12 deficiencies experience lethargy,áfatigue, and memory problems. These deficiencies are also linked withápsychosisand mania. For these people, vitamin B-12 supplementation can significantly improve mental well-being.
However, as the authors point out, it is not at all clear if vitamin B-12 would make a significant difference to people who are not clinically defined as deficient.
Much left to learn
For many of the questions the researchers explored in this review, it was not possible to reach firm conclusions. For instance, in the case of vitamin D, someáresearcháhas concluded that supplementation improves working memory and attention in older adults. Otherástudiesáhave found that using vitamin D supplements might reduce the risk of depression.
However, many of these studies were small, and other, similar studies have concluded that vitamin D does not have any impact on mental health.
Read more: Can a diet full of junk food make you go blind?
As the review’s authors point out, because “a substantial proportion of the general population has a vitamin D deficiency,” understanding its role in mental health is important.
Similarly, the evidence for a nutritional role in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was quite mixed.
As Prof. Dickson outlines: “[W]e can see [that] an increase in the quantity of refined sugar in the diet seems to increase ADHD and hyperactivity, whereas eating more fresh fruit and vegetables seems to protect against these conditions. But there are comparatively few studies, and many of them don’t last long enough to show long-term effects.”
“There is a general belief that dietary advice for mental health is based on solid scientific evidence. In reality, it is very difficult to prove that specific diets or specific dietary components contribute to mental health.”
Read more: Reduce possibility of depression by eating Mediterranean diet
Prof. Suzanne Dickson
The authors go on to explain some of the inherent difficulties in studying the impact of diet on mental health, and they offer some ideas for the future. Overall, Prof. Dickson concludes:
“Nutritional psychiatry is a new field. The message of this paper is that the effects of diet on mental health are real, but that we need to be careful about jumping to conclusions on the base of provisional evidence. We need more studies on the long-term effects of everyday diets.”
Online Int’l News with additional input by GVS News Desk