How Diet Impacts Mental Health

A person’s diet impacts mood, behavior, and overall health. Mental health is directly impacted by what types of food a person eats and their nutrients. According to Missouri Medicine, “Several nutritional deficiencies, such as vitamin b12, B9 (folate), and zinc, can cause symptoms of depression and dementia such as low mood, fatigue, cognitive decline, and irritability.” Researchers have reported that “evidence linking diet to mental illness has evolved from a focus on specific nutrient deficiencies to an emphasis on overall dietary pattern.” LifeSpring Home Nutrition helps people prevent mental health issues by providing nutritious home-delivered meals and education on how diet impacts mental health.

How Diet Impacts Mental Health

Diet impacts mental health by changing how the brain physically functions. In addition, it also causes emotional responses that impact mood and behaviors. People’s food choices affect the neurotransmitters in the brain and can change their thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and perceptions. Diet has a profound impact on how people act and think. It follows that a balanced diet promotes positivity and a healthier lifestyle.

Some of the ways a healthy diet impacts mental and physical health include:

• Reducing instances of malnutrition
• Balancing blood sugar levels
• Improving gut health
• Reducing inflammation
• Ensuring people get enough antioxidants, amino acids, and other nutrients
• Promoting a healthy weight

A person’s mental health affects how they feel about themselves as well as their place in the world. Improving physical health can make people feel more comfortable and confident. Sometimes it may take a while for people to notice changes after changing their diet. However, many people notice changes within only a short amount of time. LifeSpring Home Nutrition offers tailored treatment plans to help people address any mental or physical health issues affected by diet.

Mental Health Disorders That Are Impacted by Diet

Some mental health conditions are significantly affected by dietary changes. For example, individuals with depression who experience malnutrition or vitamin deficiencies report more severe and longer-lasting symptoms. A healthy diet also reduces the risk of developing mental health disorders, including major depressive disorder (MDD).

According to Cureus, “Following a healthy diet, particularly one that incorporates vegetables and fruits, and avoiding a pro-inflammatory diet such as junk food, fast food, and a high intake of meat may lower the risk of developing depressive symptoms or clinical depression.” Meals provided by LifeSpring Home Nutrition use whole foods, vegetables, and fruits to ensure people receive the nutrients they need to promote positive mental health.

Some of the most common mental health disorders affected by diet include:

• Depressive disorders
• Anxiety disorders
• Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

Diet can significantly impact the severity of symptoms and how they manifest. For example, a person with an anxiety disorder who drinks a lot of caffeine or eats an excessive amount of sugar will have increased energy, adding to their sense of anxiety and emotional destabilization. The effects of caffeine may even cause panic attacks for some people. Reducing these dietary triggers lessens the severity of specific triggers and helps people better manage their conditions.

How Diet Impacts Mental Health and Overall Wellness

A person’s diet impacts their mental health and overall wellness in multiple ways, including:

• Affecting gut health and the gut-brain axis
• Improving the function of certain body systems (e.g., omega-3 fatty acids improve cognition and reduce some symptoms of cognitive disorders)
• Addressing nutrient deficiencies by adding missing nutrients

Everyone has different health needs. LifeSpring Home Nutrition offers meals that are enriched to improve people’s overall health.

Managing Physical and Mental Health Disorders With Dietary Changes

Health care providers often encourage people to change their eating habits to manage symptoms and side effects of common medical conditions, including mental health disorders. In some cases, simple dietary changes like a new mealtime routine or following a suggested diet may significantly improve a person’s emotional and physical well-being.

According to BMJ: British Medical Journal, “Healthy eating patterns, such as the Mediterranean diet, are associated with better mental health than ‘unhealthy’ eating patterns, such as the Western diet.” In addition, “The effects of certain foods or dietary patterns on glycaemia, immune activation, and the gut microbiome may play a role in the relationships between food and mood.”

People often report experiencing reduced symptoms of common disorders if they make healthy dietary changes. For example, individuals with MDD may change their diet to include more whole fresh foods and less processed meats, saturated fats, and added sugars. The change is straightforward and can have a profound effect on depressive symptoms. Some individuals may notice a complete remission after making positive lifestyle changes.

How Does LifeSpring Home Nutrition Support Positive Mental Health?

LifeSpring Home Nutrition supports positive mental health by providing people with balanced nutritional meals. Individuals choose from various meal options with foods that meet everyone’s medical needs and personal preferences. Home-delivered meals provide consistency and ensure people maintain high-quality diets to improve their mental and physical health.

Diet impacts mental health by directly affecting the physical structures in the brain and through emotional side effects. Some mental health disorders, including depression, develop due to malnutrition or other side effects of unhealthy eating. Mental health is directly linked to physical health, and people who eat healthy diets are less likely to experience some preventable mental health disorders. Home-delivered meals provide an excellent source of nutrition. People gain comfort from eating familiar foods they enjoy, while the nutrient-rich ingredients ensure every system in the body functions correctly. LifeSpring Home Nutrition encourages people to develop healthy relationships with food. To learn more about our home-delivered meals and services, contact us today at (800) 798-5767.