Nutrition and Mental Health - how can it help??

Here are some quick tips to nourish your brain

1.      Increase the amount of green leafy vegetables you eat every day.

Dark leafy greens have high levels of magnesium and folate which are needed to help our bodies make serotonin (the happy chemical). Lower levels of these nutrients have been shown to increase risk of depression in women.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2465760/#:~:text=Low%20folate%20has%20been%20causatively,depression%20and%20folate%20was%20conducted.

2.      Reduce products containing trans fats

Diets high in trans fats are associated with an increased risk of depression.

Most trans fat is formed through an industrial process that adds hydrogen to vegetable oil, which causes the oil to become solid at room temperature. This partially hydrogenated oil, is less likely to spoil, so foods made with it have a longer shelf life.

Make sure to check the label and avoid all hydrogenated vegetable seed oils (eg corn, canola, soybean) and margarines— or use other cooking fats, such as butter, extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil. Hidden sources of trans fat include microwave popcorn, packaged snacks, crackers and biscuits, fried foods and baked goods from the supermarket.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6069969/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17401057/

3.      Increase your healthy fat intake

The brain is made up of mostly of fat, so try to increase your healthy fats.  These healthy fats contain high levels of omega3 and are good for the brain health and memory and have been shown in studies to reduce anxiety and depression.  Wild caught salmon (eg tinned Alaskan salmon), and chia seeds are good sources of omega3.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6683166/

4.      Look after your gut microbiome

If you eat a wide variety and large volume of unprocessed plant foods and some pre and probiotic foods this will foster a healthy gut microbiome.  The gut and the brain are closely connected through the gut brain axis, so if you look after your gut you look after your brain too!

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7510518/

5.      Reduce sugar

Consuming a diet high in sugar has been shown in studies to increase the chance of mood disorders in men and recurrence mood disorders in women.

 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30419536/

6.      Increase zinc and B vitamins in your diet

Low zinc and B vitamins have been shown to increase risk of depression and anxiety .  Sources of zinc include pumpkin seeds, eggs and oysters.  Almonds and avocados are sources of B vitamins.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20689416/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30991676/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19175490/