THE MONTHLY NUTRITION BITE – MAR’22

There is a complex relationship between diet and mental health, but on a very simple level good nutritious food can help your mental health. There is a growing amount of evidence that supports the positive effect that an improvement in diet has on mental health. Poor dietary habits can also manifest as chronic diseases of lifestyle such as diabetes and obesity later in life, which in and of itself has also been associated with poorer mental health.

It cannot however be forgotten that low mood itself, as well as psychiatric medications may also affect appetite and dietary choices. Low mood has been shown to increase the desire for comfort foods that are high in sugar, fat, and/or salt and reduces the likelihood of healthy habits such as meal prepping and grocery shopping.

Keeping the above in mind, we are just going to focus on how dietary patterns affect mood and mental wellbeing.

The Mediterranean diet is an anti-inflammatory diet and has been shown to positively affect mental health.

Below are the components of the Mediterranean diet:

1. High in fruits & vegetables. Fruit and vegetables are an excellent source of the vitamins and minerals needed to support a healthy body and mind. Eating a variety of fruit and vegetables is key, as each provide different nutrients needed for good health. Fruit and vegetables are also a good source of fibre, which feeds the good bacteria in our gut. Research has shown that having an unhealthy gut microbiota (unhealthy gut microbes) is associated with mood disorders, anxiety and depression. Therefore, it may be possible to improve mental health by supporting the growth of these beneficial gut microbes.
2. Whole grains. Wholegrains are minimally processed, high fibre carbohydrates. This includes brown rice, buck wheat, bulgar, barley, quinoa, wholewheat bread, wholewheat pasta and sorghum. These grains help to reduce inflammation in the body and the fibre in these grains feeds the good gut bacteria! Foods that increase inflammation in the body have been found to negatively affect mental health. This includes refined grains such as white rice, white flour, biscuits, sweets, juices, chips etc. Aim to choose wholegrains over refined grains most of the time for mental health benefits.
3. Fish contains less saturated fat compared to other animal protein sources. Saturated fat increases inflammation in the body and can thus negatively affect gut and mental health. Fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, herring, snoek, trout, fresh tuna, pilchards and sardines are an excellent source of omega 3 fats, which are important for brain health and help to reduce inflammation in the body. Other sources of omega 3 fats that you can incorporate into the diet to improve mental health include hemp seeds, chia seeds, linseeds/ flaxseeds and walnuts.
4. Olive oil. Olive oil is a mono-unsaturated fat, which is considered a healthy dietary fat. Choose unsaturated fats such as olive oil and other plant oils, avos, olives, nuts, seeds, and soft margarine over the saturated fats that are found in butter, lard, ghee, animal proteins, coconut oil and palm oil (packaged, processed foods).
5. Low-fat dairy. Low fat or fat free dairy has less saturated fat and is therefore better for physical and mental health. 
6. Low in red meat and other processed meats. These meats are high in saturated fat and negatively affect our physical and mental health. When you do choose to have these meats, aim to go for the leaner cuts that have less fat marbled into them and cut away the fat before cooking the meat.
7. Antioxidants. When you focus on whole plant foods and limit refined processed foods you naturally increase your intake of antioxidants. Antioxidants help to neutralize free radicals and prevent them from causing harm in the body. Free radicals cause damage to our cells and DNA, which can contribute to the development of mood disorders over time. Polyphenols are compounds that are also found in plant derived foods such as fruit and vegetables. The consumption of a diet rich in polyphenols may also support a healthy brain. Good sources of polyphenols include cocoa, grapes, red wine, onions, broccoli, blueberries, almonds and green tea. 

It cannot be said enough how important fruit and veggies are for good overall health!

Other important vitamins and minerals needed for healthy brain functioning are the B vitamins and Vitamin D.

Lots of foods contain the B vitamins, which makes it easy to get enough from your diet. By eating a varied diet consisting of mostly whole foods as mentioned above, you will naturally consume enough of the B vitamins. Food sources include milk, cheese, eggs, liver and kidney, meat, fish, dark green vegetables, such as spinach and kale, other vegetables, such as beetroot and potatoes, avocados, whole grains and whole grain cereals, beans, nuts and seeds, fruits, such as citrus, banana, and watermelon.

Most of our vitamin D on the other hand is produced in the body on exposure to the sun. We need to spend 5-15 minutes in the summer sun exposing our arms, legs, hands and face 2-3 times per week. This can easily be achieved in the summer months. Try eating your lunch outside in the sun or going for a walk in nature. This may be more challenging in the winter months. A vitamin D supplement may therefore be necessary to achieve adequate vitamin D status during winter. Foods that contain some vitamin D include egg yolks, tanned mushrooms (slice and leave in the midday sun for 20 minutes to increase their vitamin D content) and fatty fish.

To summarize:

Optimizing nutritional status is one way to support good mental health! Focus on a diet that includes complex carbohydrates that are high in fibre, foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, fruits and vegetables and limit foods that are high in refined processed carbohydrates, added sugars and saturated fat.