You are what you eat is a popular saying in the nutrition community. It’s supposed to mean that your diet influences your health and well-being. But what if there’s a deeper link between your dieting and mental health? What if what you think is also determined by what you eat?
It’s not such a crazy idea. In one startling study, the harshness or leniency of a judge was linked to their hunger levels. After a snack break, judges granted around 65% of requests for parole; however, as the session went on, the number of requests declined to almost zero.
Is hunger the only food-related determinant of our mental state? Or can other aspects of our diet affect our overall mental health? Let’s find out.
3 Reasons Your Mental Health Depends on Your Diet
Dieting and mental health are directly linked. Low blood sugar levels, dehydration, and low-level inflammation can all lead to grumpiness, anxiety, and low mood. But what other reasons link dieting and mental health? Here’s our top three:
1. Leaky Gut Syndrome Harms Your Brain
Leaky gut syndrome is a common underlying cause behind several food intolerances. It occurs due to factors like diet, stress, pollution, and medication, which, either individually or collectively, affect the permeability of the gut lining.
If the condition develops, the usually tight junctions between intestinal cells loosen. As a result, bacteria, large food molecules, and toxins “leak” into the blood spreading throughout our body and causing inflammation.
Eventually, these harmful substances reach the brain, potentially causing chronic inflammation. Even if the brain isn’t directly affected, the indirect consequences of bodily inflammation can lead to several mental health conditions.
Take depression, for example. Chronic low-grade inflammation, defined as higher levels of C-reactive protein, was associated with depression in a study of 14,275 people. In fact, according to Allergy UK, 81% of people with elevated IgG levels (a marker for food intolerances) also admitted psychological symptoms.
2. Nutritional Deficiencies Cause Low Mood
Imagine your brain as a high-performance engine. What happens if you fuel it with low-quality gas? Just like a car, your brain underperforms when it’s starved of the right nutrients. Nutritional deficiencies don’t just leave you feeling physically drained; they also slam the brakes on your mental health.
Consider vitamin D, often dubbed the ‘sunshine vitamin.’ Low vitamin D levels are not just about weaker bones; they’re linked to a gloomier mood. Research reveals a stark connection between vitamin D deficiency and higher rates of depression and anxiety.
Meanwhile, B Vitamins play a critical role in regulating mental health. Vitamin B12, for instance, is linked to the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that helps regulate mood.
3. Some Foods Boost Your Mental Health
Certain foods are like a natural prescription for your mood. Take foods rich in omega-3 or antioxidants, for example. Together, these vital nutrients help enhance mood, boost cognitive function, and stabilise blood sugars. Moreover, nuts and seeds, rich in magnesium and tryptophan, fuel serotonin production, lifting your spirits.
The message is clear: fuel your brain right, and it’ll reward you with a brighter, steadier mood.
How to Eat For a Healthy Mind
You should eat for body and mind – not just to stay healthy but to feel healthy. Some top advice includes:
- Load Up on Leafy Greens: Spinach, kale, and Swiss chard are rich in folate, which is crucial for dopamine and serotonin production.
- Choose Whole Grains: Opt for whole grains like oats, quinoa, and brown rice to maintain stable blood sugar levels and mood.
- Snack on Nuts and Seeds: Almonds, walnuts, flaxseeds, and chia seeds are packed with magnesium, zinc, and tryptophan, which enhance brain health and mood.
- Limit Processed Foods: Reduce intake of processed foods, sugary snacks, and high-sodium items to avoid mood swings and energy crashes.
- Embrace Fermented Foods: Yoghurt, kefir, kombucha, and sauerkraut can improve gut health, which is linked to mood and cognitive function.
That’s just the start, however. The link between dieting and mental health isn’t just about what you eat but what you need to avoid. Identifying any underlying food intolerances can help simplify your diet, eliminating the foodstuffs causing havoc with your mental wellbeing.
We recommend starting with a food intolerance or allergy test. Based on the results, you can then perform an elimination diet, keeping a food diary to track your symptoms. Identify patterns in your symptoms and link them to certain foodstuffs, seeing if removing them from your diet improves your mental health.
Remember: if you do need to eliminate a particular food from your diet, always ensure you don’t develop any nutritional deficiencies. Look for suitable replacements.
Boost Your Mood With Our Food Intolerance and Allergy Tests
Dieting and mental health are directly linked. Sometimes, it’s a nutritional deficiency or the result of too much processed food. However, food intolerances and allergies can tank your spirits and cause systemic low-grade inflammation.
Get tested with Test Your Intolerance. We provide a range of home allergy and intolerance tests to help you understand what’s causing any mental health problems. You’ll receive your validated results via email or our app.
Buy your test kit today and discover the link between dieting and mental health.
