The Link Between Diet and Mental Health

It is estimated that over 50 million Americans experience a mental health condition (1), including depression, anxiety, and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). And there are multiple different causes for these conditions. However, in some people, there is an important link between diet and mental health. We explore this link and how adequate nutrition and a healthy lifestyle can help support your mental health.

The Connection Between Diet and Mental Health

The relationship between diet and mental health is a complex one with many different factors involved. However, research has identified a few specific areas in which nutritional problems may impact mental health.

Inadequate Macronutrients

There are three macronutrients that your body needs from food:

• Carbohydrates
• Protein
• Fat

Inadequate Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are the main source of fuel for your body and affect the levels of brain hormones. These include serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. Also, some brain hormones are regulated by the supply of glucose to the body. The glycemic index (GI) refers to the rate at which glucose is released from carbs. Research shows that a diet focusing on low GI carbohydrates, which are slower to digest, can reduce the risk of depression. Additionally, fiber can also affect mental health. Studies show that each increase of five grams of fiber reduces the risk of depression by five percent (2).

Inadequate Protein

The building blocks of protein are amino acids, and some of these amino acids are used in the production of brain hormones such as serotonin. If levels of these amino acids are low, it can cause a reduction in the production of these brain hormones, leading to depression and anxiety (2).

Whilst one of the main protein sources is animal products such as meat and dairy, plant-based protein such as legumes and grains are also a good source. Here it is important to remember that combining legumes and grains is important, as plant-based protein generally does not contain all the amino acids. Combining two or three different plant-based protein types in a meal helps to supply all the essential amino acids your body needs. This will reduce the chances of one of the amino acids becoming low, possibly reducing the risk of mental health conditions.

The Wrong Kinds of Fat

There are three main types of fats that can be found in food: saturated, trans, and unsaturated fats. Saturated and trans fats, particularly those found in meat and processed foods, may increase the risk of depression.

On the other hand, unsaturated fats such as omega-3 fatty acids, help to reduce the occurrence of depression. This could be due to the unsaturated fats helping to reduce inflammation and improve blood flow to the brain and cognition.

Vitamin and Mineral Deficiencies

Whilst supplementation can help you to receive nutrients, your body mainly relies on food to receive its nutrients.  Many are essential to your health. Without them, your body would not be able to function optimally.

There are a range of different nutrients that play an important role in the functioning of your brain and nervous system. These nutrients include (2):

• Vitamin B6, B9, and B12
• Vitamin D
• Zinc
• Selenium
• Iron
• Calcium

If the levels of these nutrients are low, your brain and nervous system health cannot be maintained. This can result in many different symptoms such as low mood, irritability, cognitive decline, and tiredness (3).

Poor Gut Health

The link between the gut and mental health is multidirectional: poor gut health can affect mental health, and mental health conditions can affect gut health. Serotonin is one of the main brain hormones and helps to reduce the occurrence of depression and anxiety. Your gut produces 95% of this serotonin, making it an important part of your mental health (4).

Gut health also relies on the health of the bacteria within your gut. Ideally, the population of bacteria should be composed largely of beneficial organisms. However, due to illness, stress, lack of exercise, antibiotics, or poor diet, the population of beneficial bacteria can be reduced, and harmful bacteria increases. This will then affect the gut's ability to produce sufficient serotonin and increase the risk of depression and anxiety (5).

How to Improve Your Diet and Mental Health

Knowing what areas might be problematic for you is important. Once those are identified, you can begin to improve your diet, focusing on the three main ways it impacts your mental health.

Balance the Macronutrients on Your Plate

The first step in improving diet and mental health is ensuring that you have a balanced diet of macronutrients. As a simple rule, you can focus on half your plate being fruits and vegetables including salad, a quarter of your plate containing carbohydrates and grains (ideally whole grains), and a quarter protein (9).

The quality of the different macronutrients is important.

• For protein, if you are following a plant-based diet, make sure you use a range of different plant-based proteins.
• With carbohydrates, focus on unrefined carbohydrates like whole grains rather than refined carbohydrates like white flour or white rice. This will help to reduce the GI of the carbohydrates and will help increase your fiber intake.
• For your fat intake, try to reduce your total intake of saturated fats and trans fats. This can be through choosing lean proteins and reducing your intake of fried foods and processed foods. To increase your intake of unsaturated fats, try to have fish two to three times a week and increase your intake of nuts and seeds.

Eat the Rainbow to Boost Vitamins and Minerals

Eating a varied, healthy diet is the first step to ensuring you are receiving enough vitamins and minerals. With carbohydrates, make sure that you include fruits and vegetables every day. A simple way to do this is to make sure you include a variety of different colors on your plate. The different colors are associated with different nutrients and will help increase the nutrients in your meals.

Support Your Gut Bacteria

There are several ways to improve your gut health, mostly by supporting good bacteria in your gut and lowering inflammation by avoiding inflammatory foods. You can do this by:

• Increasing the probiotics in your diet: This helps to increase the population of bacteria in your gut. Sources include fermented foods such as yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kombucha, kimchi, or supplements.
• Increasing prebiotics: This is essentially the food for your gut bacteria. Sources include fruits and vegetables.
• Reducing the amount of sugar and refined carbohydrates in your diet: These are inflammatory foods that feed bad bacteria and irritate your gut lining.

Antibiotics can kill gut bacteria, good and bad, and create an opportunity for bad bacteria to proliferate, so these steps are particularly important if you have been on antibiotics.

A Healthy Lifestyle to Support Mental Health

Not only is there a link between diet and mental health but there is also a link between leading a healthy lifestyle and mental health. Nutrition is one of the factors that affect whether or not your lifestyle is healthy, but other factors also play a role.

Manage Stress

Your body is designed to cope with short-term stress, but long-term stress can directly impact your mental health. When your body experiences stress, it produces cortisol, a stress hormone, through the adrenal glands. This helps your body cope with the stress. When the stressor disappears, the body will stop producing cortisol. Unfortunately, if the stress continues, your body will continue to produce cortisol, and this can deplete your adrenal glands, causing low levels of cortisol.

Additionally, the NeuroEndometabolic (NEM) Stress Response System is also affected. This system consists of six different circuits of related organ systems that help manage stress. When your adrenal glands become depleted, this can cause imbalances within your NEM system, which can lead to Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome (AFS). This is the non-Addison's form of adrenal dysfunction, where the body's stress response cannot keep up with life's chronic stressors.

The Neuroaffect circuit is responsible for helping you cope with mental and emotional stress. The brain, autonomic nervous system, and gut microbiome make up this circuit and are responsible for producing and releasing brain hormones. If there is an imbalance within this circuit, the production and release of brain hormones can be affected. This can cause a range of symptoms affecting your mental health. These include:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Becoming stressed due to things that generally would not stress you
• Challenges with falling and maintaining sleep

Using the link between diet and mental health to your advantage can help manage your symptoms. However, if you are experiencing AFS, it is important to get support to help address the root cause.

Managing stressors, both by addressing your diet and mental health, and by identifying and reducing stressors and developing additional coping mechanisms can help. Practicing relaxation techniques, focusing on maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and even seeing a therapist can all help manage stress as well.

Relief from AFS

There are multiple different strategies used to relieve AFS, including nutrition and supplementation. Dr. Lam's Nutritional Adrenal Fatigue Recovery Program incorporates these different strategies to help find relief from AFS. This program includes:

• Supplements designed to support your adrenal glands
• A 30-day meal plan and recipe book
• A personal nutritional consult with one of the Dr. Lam coaches
• Yoga exercises
• Breathing exercises

If you are experiencing AFS and an imbalance within the neuroaffect circuit, then this program may help to improve your mental health.

Get More Exercise

Increasing your physical activity is one way to improve your mental health. When you exercise, your body releases endorphins - feel-good hormones that can help to boost your mood and help to reduce depression and anxiety. Additionally, exercise can help to improve your gut health as well.

The World Health Organization (WHO), recommends that you should do 150-300 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise per week and include strength exercises at least twice a week (6).

If you are currently experiencing AFS, however, know that strenuous exercise can put more stress on your body by requiring an increase in cortisol levels. Here, gentle exercises can help, such as walking or restorative yoga.

Prioritize Sleep

This is another important factor that makes up a healthy lifestyle. A reduction in sleep can affect activity in parts of your brain. This can lead to difficulty making decisions, a reduction in concentration, and a reduction in your ability to control your emotions and behavior. It can also reduce your coping mechanisms. This increases the risk of depression and suicidal thoughts (8).

To promote brain health, it is recommended that you should get between seven to nine hours of sleep per day. Make getting this sleep a priority in your lifestyle, and support it with a relaxing bedtime routine and consistent sleep schedule.

Diet and Mental Health: Takeaway Message

There is a link between diet and mental health, which is why you should make sure you are getting enough of the right nutrients, vitamins, and minerals in your diet, along with eating fruits, vegetables, and probiotics that support your gut health. Additionally, managing stress, getting enough exercise, and making time for sleep can help support a healthy lifestyle and your mental health.

If you are unsure as to where to start, Dr. Lam's Nutritional Adrenal Fatigue Recovery Program can help. If you would like more guidance on whether this program can benefit you, you can give us a call for a free initial call or click here.