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-MartĂnez, Marlene P
Freeman, et al. “Nutritional medicine as mainstream in psychiatry.”
The Lancet Psychiatry, January 25, 2015.
