The Mind-Body-Food Connection
What we eat fuels us so naturally, the effect food has on us affects everything within us. Of course, diet affects our tummies, hearts, and physical fitness - but it also affects our brains. And the brain is constantly working, handling our mood, cognition, and all bodily functions.
When we eat things that nourish our bodies and are well-digested, everything inside us works better and more smoothly including the brain/mind.
High-quality foods like fruits and vegetables, lean meats, nuts, whole grains, and healthy fats are full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants our body needs to keep us healthy and in top physical and mental shape.
Problems are manifold when it comes to the less-than-ideal diet increasingly seen in modern society. Fast food, processed meats, oily potato chips, candy, soda, and more items like these cause obesity and weight issues, lessens our brain’s performance, and can even trigger anxiety. All these problems can lead to less social involvement, physical health problems, anxiety, and depression. Not ideal for mental health.
So we know an unhealthy diet worsens stress and plays a role in depression and anxiety, along with a host of other disorders. We also know a healthy one keeps our body and mind at their best. But here are three aspects of nutrition specifically linked to mental health.
Sugar
Sugar has been long proven to have addictive qualities, similar to cocaine! When we eat something high in sugar, our brain gets a rush of feel-good chemicals that make the next cookie or piece of candy almost irresistible.
So it may be no surprise that the consumption of sugar alters the brain’s chemistry. This change makes it harder to deal with stress, harder to think clearly, and can lead to depression and other disorders. It doesn’t help that getting off the sweet stuff can trigger panic attacks or just worsen anxiety. Sometimes people need therapy or a nutritionist to help them get on the right nutritional path.
Inflammation
When we eat unhealthy foods which our body struggles to digest, it can result in inflammation which has been linked to various disorders. A poor diet in combination with things like high stress or bad sleep habits can lead to chronic low-grade inflammation. Individual cases may differ - sometimes inflammation can lead to mental distress and sometimes the other way around. But the connection is there.
Inflammation has been recognized as a silent killer, causing several physical diseases like
Cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes. These problems in turn cause stress, which in turn is horrible for inflammation.
Our gastrointestinal tract holds 95% of serotonin, the chemical in our body helping regulate sleep, appetite, mood, and pain processing. This vital connection between the gut and brain is influenced by millions of good bacteria that prevent inflammation and the best way to nurture it is by eating a healthy diet filled with whole foods.
Dehydration
Our bodies need more than just food to fuel us, we also need water. As people drink sweetened juices and sodas instead of water or healthy hydrating liquids, the dehydration can lead to mental health consequences. It worsens mental performance, causes fatigue, and dampens one’s mood.
While dehydration may not directly cause a serious mental health disorder, it can certainly worsen symptoms and make treatment harder to process. By drinking eight cups of water throughout the day (adjusted accordingly for activity, weight, etc.) we can make sure to meet the baseline of proper hydration.
More
For a conversation between Dr. Bregman and trainer Rael Vanterpool on this week’s subject check out our podcast “The Breakdown with Dr. B” at Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more!
Bregman Medical Group has decades of treating a variety of mental health issues. We offer online psychiatry and therapy right to your device! Simply schedule at www.bregmanmd.com or call 305-740-3340.
References:
https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/how-sugar-harms-mental-health#worsen-anxiety
https://today.uconn.edu/2012/02/even-mild-dehydration-can-alter-mood/