Nutrition and Mood

Food-Nutrition-Brain health. Nutritional medicine is getting more attention now in the field of mental health. More evidence shows good quality nutrition promotes brain and mental health while eating low quality food (e.g. processed food and refined sugars) can promote inflammation and oxidative stress and therefore, damaging our brain cells and worsening mood disorder. Food we eat can affect how we feel. Studies also shows that nutrients link to brain health include B vitamins, omega 3 fatty acids, choline, iron, zinc, magnesium, vitamin D and amino acids.

Probiotics also has been shown to reduce anxiety, perception of stress and mental outlook. Mediterranean and Japanese diet contains higher portion of vegetables, fruits, unprocessed grains, and seafood. These diets are found to have a lower risk of depression than typical Western diet as per researchers.

What do we learn from these studies? Be aware of what we eat can affect how we feel long term. Cutting down on sugary and processed food, replacing with unprocessed and wholesome foods will have positive impact on how you feel. Adding probiotics and nutritional supplement of good quality will enhance the overall general well being.

Food for thought: ‘healthy food-> positive thought; Unhealthy food -> negative thought’

Reference:

www.worldhealth.net

Nutritional psychiatry: Your brain on food http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/nutritional-psychiatry-your-brain-on-food-201511168626

Jerome Sarris, Alan C Logan, Tasnime N Akbaraly, G Paul Amminger, VicentBalanzá-Martínez, Marlene P Freeman, et al.  “Nutritional medicine as mainstream in psychiatry.”  The Lancet Psychiatry, January 25, 2015.

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Magnesium and You

Magnesium is one of the essential minerals and cofactors in our body. It involves in more than 300 biochemical reactions including energy production, production of protein, cell signalling, macronutrient metabolism etc. Up to 80% of the Americans are suffering from magnesium deficiency. Magnesium deficiency has been associated with increased risk of heart disease, osteoporosis, high blood pressure, and Type 2 diabetes. Current agricultural practices have significantly depleted the soils and nutritional values in our food including magnesium. In addition, the processed foods that we eat further deplete this mineral form our bodies.

In regards to magnesium supplementation, there are different forms of magnesium. Most magnesium salts, such as magnesium oxide, carbonate and citrate do not have ideal absorption rates. Only 4% of Magnesium oxide get absorbed. Yet if magnesium is not absorbed in our gut, the it can potentially cause diarrhea. Highly absorbable form of magnesium such as chelated form of amino acid, biglycinate, taurinate, glycinate forms are with good absorbability.

Reference:

www.lpi.oregonstate.edu

www.nutritionalmagnesium.org

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