What Impact Does Nutrition Have on Mental Health?
Surprisingly, the connection between the functioning of the brain and nutrition is seldom made in the popular mind. We see quite a lot of press devoted to physical health depending on diet, of course, but rarely is attention paid to the health of the mind.
Yet we have to be careful, less we run into quack cures. The “Ketogenic diet”, sometimes prescribed for people with epilepsy, is one such controversial regimen. It has produced results of lowering seizures by 50%, but also has many health hazards and is largely dismissed by physicians. The “Feidgold” diet is an even better example: discredited as pure quackery by every single mental health expert with a real diploma, it nevertheless traps parents into attempting to manage everything from ADHD to far more serious conditions such as depression, all with an ineffective diet plan. More currently, Patrick Holford of the British Food for the Brain Foundation has attracted some controversy for his unusual views.
OK, but obviously the brain is affected by what we ingest, right? Yes indeed; you can tell from first-hand experience: try working through a sheet of math problems when you are hungry. Anything we eat, drink, or smoke may have an affect on the brain. Caffeine, nicotine, sugar, and other stimulants excite the brain. Certainly, alcohol and drugs have an effect on it. Chocolate candy has an effect on the brain which even mimics being in love. Breast-feeding is touted as being essential to the proper brain formation of infants. Certainly, what we ingest has very easily-seen effects on that three pounds of meat in our noggins.
One case where nutrition and mental health research seems to be pointing to a definite link between eating and thinking is the fatty acid Omega-3. Omega-3 fatty acids have been the subject of intense study. And guess where we get it from? That’s fish - specifically fatty fish, and the old saw that “fish is brain food” is starting to look like there could be some truth to it. Fatty acids are known to have membrane-enhancing capabilities in brain cells. Fatty acids, in fact, comprise approximately eight percent of the average human brain according to Dr. David Horrobin, a pioneer in fatty acid research. Ralph Holman of the University of Minnesota, USA, has concurred, stating that Omega-3 seems to mimic the chemical composition of parts of the brain itself.
In fact - I hope you’re sitting down for this - the human brain is said by some to be about 60% fat by weight. So if anybody calls you a “fathead”, be sure to thank them for the compliment! In any case, the brain is thought to depend on a range of fatty acids, including Linoleic Acid (LA), Alpha-Linolenic Acid (ALA), Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA), Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA), Arachidonic Acid (AA), and Gamma-Linolenic Acid (GLA). Collectively, these are both the Omega-3 and Omega-6 acids. Much research is only beginning to be done on these newly-discovered substances and their curious relation to the brain, but so far, the results are very definite in this area.
Along with the amazing fats and oils, there is the slightly-older news about herbalism. Note that the “jury is still out” on herbal supplements and their effect on brain function, specifically memory. The herbal specimens which are thought to enhance memory function include ginseng, St. John’s wort, Salvia lavandulaefolia (commonly known as sage), ginkgo biloba, and rosemarry. Some tests have been conducted which indicate that there may be some slight benefit to some of the herbal remedies, but even the most optimistic studies yet certainly don’t suggest you should rush out and buy a lifetime supply.
But let it be said that the various medical herbs in the above paragraph have been shown to at least not be doing harm, and have produced some measurable result in improving brain functions such as attention and memory, in both healthy adults and Alzheimer’s patients. Part of the reason that research is so slow in these areas is that even the best herbal brain supplement isn’t going to turn a straight-F student into an honor-roll candidate. The effects, if any, are subtle, small, and hard to measure.
It should be cautioned that there is, as yet, no conclusive link between specific mental illness and nutrition - that is to say, you’re unlikely to have a mental breakdown from eating the wrong food. And if your mental health is suffering, your condition is better regulated by medication and therapy than by what’s on your plate. Schizophrenia, depression, hyperactivity, anxiety, autism, and other life-altering conditions are established, severe brain disorders which have nothing to do with diet.
But if you’re just talking about adding a couple of points to your I.Q., then there may be some weight to the idea that what you eat affects how your brain functions. Your physician will have a better insight into your condition and any relation to nutrition.
Copyright Mental Health
Tag: nutrition and mental health
April 10th, 2008 at 9:47 am
I was looking for information to share with parent and youth groups that have mental and emotional challenegs. I took great offense to the comments from the writer of the articile “What Impact Does Nutrition Have on Mental Health.” I was suprised how loosley the writer uses the word crazy towards the end of this articile. Have you ever thought that people with mental health challenges (who might be reading your website) find the same old stigma used in this writers words. Where or when is it not apporicate to use the term crazy?
April 10th, 2008 at 4:13 pm
Hi Barbara
The terms were used poorly I agree, however with no intended insult or malice. They were more in line with light humour or throw away lines to reduce any impact from this subject matter. In this case they didn’t seem to work. Hence your comment - thank you for bringing it to my attention. As a result, I’ve removed them.