please think about it. Your brain is always “on”. It controls your thoughts, movements, breathing, heartbeat, and sensations, and continues to work 24/7, even while you sleep. This means that the brain requires a constant supply of fuel. That “fuel” comes from the food you eat. And what’s in that fuel makes all the difference. Simply put, what you eat has a direct impact on your brain structure and function, and ultimately your mood.
Just like a luxury car, your brain functions best when fed only with premium fuel. Eating high-quality foods rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants nourishes the brain and eliminates the “waste products” produced when the body uses oxygen that can damage cells. Protects the brain from oxidative stress caused by free radicals.
Unfortunately, just like luxury cars, consuming anything other than premium fuel can cause brain damage. When substances from “low premium” fuels (such as those obtained from processed and refined foods) reach the brain, the brain has little ability to remove them. For example, a diet high in refined sugars is harmful to the brain. It not only worsens the body’s insulin regulation, but also promotes inflammation and oxidative stress. Studies have found a correlation between diets high in refined sugars and impaired brain function, as well as worsening symptoms of mood disorders such as depression.
That makes sense. Some effects occur when the brain lacks quality nutrition, or when free radicals and damaging inflammatory cells circulate within the brain’s confined space, further promoting brain tissue damage. is expected. What’s interesting is that for many years, the medical field didn’t fully appreciate the relationship between mood and eating.
Today, fortunately, the burgeoning field of nutritional psychiatry is beginning to explore the relationship between not only what we eat, how we feel, and ultimately how we behave, but also the types of bacteria that live in our guts. It is becoming clear that there are many influences and correlations.
How the food you eat affects your mental health
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps regulate sleep and appetite, regulate mood, and suppress pain. Approximately 95% of serotonin is produced in the gastrointestinal tract, which is lined with 100 million nerve cells, or neurons. So the inner workings of your digestive system not only help you digest food, but they can also guide your emotions. Additionally, the function of these neurons, and the production of neurotransmitters such as serotonin, is greatly influenced by the billions of “good” bacteria that make up the gut microbiome. These bacteria play an important role in health. These protect the lining of your intestines and provide a strong barrier against toxins and “bad” bacteria. They limit inflammation. Improves absorption of nutrients from food. It activates the neural pathways that run directly between the gut and the brain.
Studies compared “traditional” diets, such as the Mediterranean diet or the traditional Japanese diet, to typical “Western” diets, and found that those who ate traditional diets had a 25% to 35% risk of depression. % has been shown to be low. Scientists believe that this is because these traditional diets tend to be high in vegetables, fruits, unprocessed grains, and seafood, and contain only modest amounts of red meat and dairy products. It explains the difference. They also don’t consume processed or refined foods or sugar, which are staples of the “Western” dietary pattern. Additionally, many of these unprocessed foods are fermented, so they act as natural probiotics.
It may sound far-fetched, but researchers believe that good bacteria not only affect digestion and absorption in the intestine, but also affect not only mood and energy levels, but also the degree of inflammation throughout the body. is attracting attention among .
Nutritional psychiatry: what does it mean to you?
Start paying attention to how eating different foods makes you feel, not just in the moment, but the next day. Try eating “clean” for a few weeks. This means cutting out all processed foods and sugar. Look at your feelings. Then slowly introduce foods back into your diet one at a time and see how you feel.
Some people believe how much better they feel, both physically and mentally, when they “go clean” and how much worse they feel when they reintroduce foods that are known to promote inflammation. I can’t.
Based on a Harvard Health Blog post by Eva Serhab, M.D.
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