According to a 2017 scientific study published on TIMEcertain foods even have a better effect on mental health than social support.
Integrated system
Felice Jacka, co-director of the Food and Mood Center at Deakin University in Australia and first author of the study, says that people form a very complex and highly integrated system. “The body and the brain are constantly talking to each other.”
According to Jacka, there are trillions of microbes in your digestive system, which help break down components of the food consumed and interact with different parts of the body. Just as they nourish the physical body, nutrient-rich foods stimulate the growth of microbes in the gut, which research shows results in a variety of benefits, including improved mental health. In fact, a 2023 study in mice linked a certain type of bacteria found in foods like yogurt to reduced stress levels and possibly lower risks of anxiety and depression, presumably by regulating parts of the immune system.
The power of conscious nutritional choices
The intestine maintains a direct connection to the brain via the vagus nerve, which runs from the brainstem to the colon. Neurotransmitters that regulate mood, such as positive serotonin, are produced in the intestine. After the intestine releases them, the vagus nerve acts as a “two-way texting system that continually passes neurotransmitters back and forth, up and down,” as Naidoo explains.
Although science has not yet reached definitive conclusions, some researchers suggest that the mineral zinc, found in foods such as oysters and nuts, may increase levels of a protein that promotes the growth of new brain cells. According to Dr. Drew Ramsey, an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Columbia University and author of “Eat to Beat Depression and Anxiety,” this could result in improved cognitive function and mental health. He emphasizes that by eating healthy, you “provide your brain cells with all the nutrients they need to grow and thrive.”
What you eat and how you live not only affects how you look, but also your (mental) health. Dietitian Wendy explains how a healthy lifestyle can help prevent various diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis, dementia, burnouts and depression:
Bron: TIME
January 26, 2024
Also read
2024-01-26 21:04:09
#nutrition #significantly #affects #mood #science
