Nutrition

Just like the heart, stomach and liver, the brain is an organ that requires different amounts of complex carbohydrates, essential fatty acids, amino acids, vitamins, minerals and water to remain healthy. An integrated approach that equally reflects the interplay of biological factors, as well as broader psychological, emotional and social conceptions of mental health, is vital in order to reduce the prevalence and the distress caused by mental health problems: diet is a cornerstone of this integrated approach. 

Feeding the brain with a diet that provides adequate amounts of complex carbohydrates, essential fats, amino acids, vitamins, minerals and water can support healthy neurotransmitter activity. It can protect the brain from the effects of oxidants, which have been shown negatively to impact mood and mental health. Evidence of nutrition’s protective qualities can be identified across the life course (The Food and Nutrition Research Briefs, 1999).. Meyers et al (1989)  found that from a young age, good nutritional intake has been linked to academic success, with a number of studies reporting that providing children with breakfast improves their academic performance. A number of published studies have shown that hungry children behave worse in school, with reports that fighting and absence are lower and attention increases when nutritious meals are provided ( Murphy et al, 1998; Gómez-Pinilla, 2008)

As we age, the protective effect that diet has on the brain is evidenced in research findings that a diet high in essential fatty acids and low in saturated fats slows the progression of memory loss and other cognitive problem  (Gómez-Pinilla, 2008)

Fruit and vegetables 

A study conducted by Stranges et al. (2014), found that vegetable consumption was associated with high levels of mental wellbeing. Along with smoking, the study found that of those examined, the behavioral risk factor most consistently associated with both low and high mental wellbeing across both genders was the individual’s fruit and vegetable consumption. Vitamins, minerals and acids Vitamins and minerals (called micronutrients) perform a number of essential functions, including assisting essential fatty acids to be incorporated into the brain and helping amino acids convert into neurotransmitters.ii They play a crucial part in protecting mental health due to their role in the conversion of carbohydrates into glucose, fatty acids into healthy brain cells, and amino acids into neurotransmitters. Deficiencies in micronutrients have been implicated in a number of mental health problems. Unequal intakes of omega-3 and omega-6 fats in the diet, for example, are implicated in a number of mental health problems, including depression, and concentration and memory problems; Beyer and Payne (2016) have shown that increased consumption of these fatty acids can be helpful in the control of bipolar depressive symptoms. Kalmijn et al (2004),  suggest that these fatty acids have an association with better mental health even after adjustment for other factors (income, age, other eating patterns), and a reduced risk of cognitive impairment in middle age.