It is time to start feeding your brain. For years, research on healthy eating has focused primarily on physical health and the link between diet, weight and chronic diseases. But the emerging field of nutritional psychiatry studies show how food can make us feel.
Speaking to iwomantoday magazine, Jane Muriithi, a dietician at the Ministry of Health, said that poor dieting may be a causal factor in the experience of low mood and anxiety, while improving diet may help to protect not only the physical health but also the mental health of the population.
‘‘Many people think about food in terms of their waistlines but food is also a very powerful lever in terms of our mental health.’’ Muriithi states.
The dietician explained that the connection between the stomach and brain is strong as both organs originate from the same cells in the embryo and remain connected through the vagus nerve. A two way chemical messaging system that explains why stress can trigger anxiety in the mind and ‘‘butterflies’’ in the stomach.
According to International Society for Nutritional Psychiatry Research (ISNPR), creating environments and developing measures that promote healthy, nutritious diets, while decreasing the consumption of highly processed and refined “junk” foods may provide benefits even beyond the well-known effects on physical health including improved psychological wellbeing.
‘‘Mediterranean diet which contains high consumption of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes; moderate consumption of poultry, eggs, and dairy products; and only occasional consumption of red meat is what is recommended for doing away with bad mood, anxiety and at times depression.’’ Muriithi says.
She also notes that if one is used to eating a diet consisting of nutrient-poor foods and then makes the switch over to a healthy diet, the brain adapts quickly and tends to have better concentration and focus.
Explaining that foods such as sugar, sodium and simple carbs are notorious for causing brain fog because they trigger spikes and drops in blood sugar which in turn affects mental clarity. The dietician expressed that majority of clients she attends to feel more energized and do not experience brain fog as often after cutting back on ultra-processed foods.
‘‘Relationships between nutrition and longstanding mental illness are compounded by barriers to maintaining a healthy diet. These barriers disproportionality affect people with mental illness and even the appetite inducing effects of psychiatric medications.’’ She adds.
However, Muriithi insists that even though dieting has been linked to affecting the brain, it is important to remember that the causes of mental illness are many and varied, and they will often present and persist independently of nutrition and diet. Thus, the increased understanding of potential connections between food and mental wellbeing should never be used to support automatic assumptions or stigmatization about an individual’s dietary choices and their mental health.
By: Moffin Opilio
