Why nutrition is vital for our mental health

When we are thinking about mental health, nutrition is probably not the first thought that springs to mind. So, you may wonder why I am writing a blog post for For Our Men! 

If anything, we think of comfort food, maybe something like chocolate to make us feel better when we are feeling down or stressed. But there’s a lot more to it! Physical and mental health are intertwined, and one certainly affects the other. 

Does a poor diet cause mental illness? 

I realise that this may be a controversial statement and considering the different types and severity of mental illnesses, it’s clear that there is no one-size-fits-all and blaming a poor diet would be far too easy. But evidence shows that nutrition is definitely part of the puzzle – at any stage of your mental health journey, from the very first onset to final recovery. 

If you are already vulnerable and affected by genetic and environmental factors like stress at work or at home, a traumatic experience or a medical condition; your diet and a lack of certain nutrients can increase the risk of developing a mental illness. On the other hand, we have been knowing for quite a while that certain nutrients support mental health and a lack of those can contribute to the onset of poor mental health in all its forms. 

The communication between gut and brain 

There is a significant communication going on between our central nervous system and the gut Microbiota. The microbiota is defined as all the microorganisms living in our digestive tract. Basically – when our digestive system is well, our central nervous system is happy, too. On the other hand, studies have suggested that people with sensitive stomachs, IBS, coeliac etc are more prone to develop mental health issues. 

When we are looking at the help we can offer our digestive system we need to differentiate between pre-biotics and pro-biotics. Both are important but I would suggest adding probiotics as a first step. Pro-biotics are live bacteria which can improve or restore your gut flora. You can add more variety of gut bacteria by focussing on those pro-biotics, either in foods or as a supplement in tablet form. Once you have topped up your gut bacteria you can start feeding them with Pre-biotics. Those are the types of fibre in foods which keep your bacteria healthy so they can do their job: digestion, immune system, production of the hormone leptin that makes you feel full. 

Where can you find them: 

Probiotics are in fermented foods like plain yoghurt, kefir, kimchi or sauerkraut are great. I don’t blame you if that sounds like an acquired taste to you. Thankfully, you can take probiotics as a supplement. 

Note that most probiotic supplements need refrigeration – buy one that doesn’t need to be refrigerated and take them with cold water rather than hot tea, else you may destroy some of them. A recent study showed that only three weeks of probiotic treatment can help restoring your microbiota and reduce levels of depression, stress and anxiety. People showed an overall happier mood, more energy, less ‘brain-fog’. Note that a good supplement may be cheaper and more efficient in delivering the bacteria to your gut than the yoghurt drinks you can get in the supermarket. 

To help your gut feeling great and communicate only the friendly and happy messages to your brain, you need both: probiotics and prebiotics. 

Once we have topped up our gut bacteria with probiotics, we need to keep them happy and feed them with prebiotics! You can find Prebiotics in garlic, onion, leeks, asparagus, chicoree, oats and apples, chia seeds and flax seeds. And pre-cooked potatoes. When they cool down, the starch changes into so-called ‘resistant starch’ which supports our gut. 

The nutrients 

But there’s more we can do – we can support our mental health even better when we add certain nutrients to our diet: In developed countries such as the UK we eat a greater variety of foods than ever before – but that doesn’t mean that we are well nourished. In fact, many people do not eat enough nutrients that are essential, opting for a diet of heavily processed food containing artificial additives, too much salt and sugar. 

Previous research has shown certain nutritional deficiencies correlate with some mental disorders. The most common nutritional deficiencies seen in patients are of omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium, B vitamins, zinc and Vitamin D. Once these were added back into the patient’s diet, their condition improved! Let’s look at them one by one: 

Magnesium: almonds, cashew nuts, brazil nuts, green leafy vegetables. 

Omega-3 fatty acids: Fatty fish like salmon, tuna or mackerel is your best friend. If you don’t like fish, try chia or flax seeds. 

The next ones are B vitamins and zinc : Most B vitamins are found in meat, fish and dairy so if you are vegan, you may want to consider a supplement. You can find zinc in pecan nuts, Brazil nuts, almonds and oats 

Last but not least, Vitamin D. Our body can make its own Vitamin D when we expose our skin to sunlight. No problem during the last two summers but in the darker months, a supplement can help. You can find some Vitamin D in foods like wild salmon and other fatty fish and eggs. The only plant source is mushrooms. 

Let me summarise and finish with a simple checklist of good food habits to support your gut and your mental health:

• Eat yoghurt, drink kefir or take a probiotic supplement to increase gut bacteria 
• Feed your gut bacteria with prebiotics in apples, oats, leeks, flax seeds 
• Take a Vitamin D supplement (especially in Winter) 
• Increase your intake of foods high in zinc, magnesium, omega 3, and vitamins B and D 
• Drink enough water to help your gut and digestion 

It doesn’t sound too difficult, does it? 

I’m a firm believer that nutrition changes everything. Don’t wait for the disaster to happen.

If you start developing good eating habits and add the foods that support your mental health, you will go easier and quicker through the next storm! 

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