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Can diet affect your mental health?
Replies
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I used to ask that question all the time and to be honest with you from personal experience changing my diet has improved my moods my cognitive thinking and my overall health. Also a film came out within the past few years called that Sugar film it was actually really interesting documentary. If you have Amazon Prime it is free. It makes some interesting points6
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From my personal experience with depression, I think it's a little bit of both. I know that when I'm struggling with depression, I eat terribly (way too many calories and little fruits or vegetables). When I'm feeling good, I eat better.
However, I find that if I can recognize that I'm in the downward depression spiral (which isn't always easy to admit) and I start eating better and exercising, I find that I start feeling better. So, for me, it's both.9 -
Actually, a very famous murder case was defended with "The Twinkie Defense." The man who murdered Harvey Milk received something crazy like 2 years in prison due to his junk food diet causing erratic behavior.
I don't think there was likely a lot of sciencin' going on in that particular defense. Nowadays it could be eviscerated by the Daubert standard, but that also assumes a competent prosecution and scientifically-competent jury (drawn from the same kind of crazy-woo believers you might see on certain fitness sites).5 -
amusedmonkey wrote: »Your friend is both right and wrong. Mental health CAN be affected by diet, but in many cases a bad diet is a symptom of poor mental health. It's not an either or, that would be too simplistic. One can co-exist with the other without having caused it although there are cases where it can.
A nervous dieter worrying about every detail to perfection may make their anxiety worse, while an excited dieter feeling positive changes may feel better even if it's not strictly caused by nutrition. Don't forget the positive impact of exercise which often goes hand in hand with "trying to eat better".
ETA: this topic reminded me of a couple of small interesting studies some time ago.
Https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25862297
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26706022
Did these have full-text out there anywhere easily accessible? I just wanted to be a geek and take a closer look, but these look paywalled. I think these have been referenced in other things I have read but I haven't dug into them yet.
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French_Peasant wrote: »amusedmonkey wrote: »Your friend is both right and wrong. Mental health CAN be affected by diet, but in many cases a bad diet is a symptom of poor mental health. It's not an either or, that would be too simplistic. One can co-exist with the other without having caused it although there are cases where it can.
A nervous dieter worrying about every detail to perfection may make their anxiety worse, while an excited dieter feeling positive changes may feel better even if it's not strictly caused by nutrition. Don't forget the positive impact of exercise which often goes hand in hand with "trying to eat better".
ETA: this topic reminded me of a couple of small interesting studies some time ago.
Https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25862297
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26706022
Did these have full-text out there anywhere easily accessible? I just wanted to be a geek and take a closer look, but these look paywalled. I think these have been referenced in other things I have read but I haven't dug into them yet.
Unfortunately I don't. I think I found one one of them through a research review, but I don't remember which and where.1 -
Actually, a very famous murder case was defended with "The Twinkie Defense." The man who murdered Harvey Milk received something crazy like 2 years in prison due to his junk food diet causing erratic behavior.
Cart before the horse there. His lawyers used his rapidly declining nutritional choices and personal hygiene as evidence, not cause of, his mental state.9 -
Yes, absolutely. I have struggled with mental illness for over twenty years. I've been on meds and off meds and have learned an abundance of coping mechanisms. But, when I learned how to HELP my mental state by controlling my diet and eating in a way that was best for me, I started feeling amazing. Was a cured? Of course not. Could I stop taking all of my meds? Hell no! But, did my diet make a world of difference? Absolutely. I feel happier, I have more energy, I am less lethargic, my cognitive ability is improved...so, in my opinion, diet plays a huge role in mental health and will permanently play a role in mine.
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Mental health is tied into the digestive biome. We eat a vastly reduced diet in 2017 to the one we would have eaten a 100, 500 or a 1000 years ago. People who are closer to their original ways of eating have fewer health issues than we in the industrial world we have many fewer species of microbes as a result.
Anyone who has taken even one round of antibiotic will have lost beneficial microbes. Years ago before the thyroid numbers game was started doctors used to treat mental health issues with NDT, natural desiccated thyroid which contains both the t4 and t3 hormones. Many responded to this regime and it was popular. Unfortunately big pharma got in on the act post tsh, t4 testing and this natural form is shunned because they got away with saying it was not of the required standard but all medicines have to be made to a proper standard.
It is possible to ensure you have adequate levels of iodine and other minerals and vitamins in your diet. Nutritional advice says we need 150 microns of iodine a day, I think at least this. This level amounts to about half a teaspoon a year but it is vital for each and every cell particularly those in the brain. Looking for foods to supply iodine, examples, a medium egg is 24, dark green veg 100 grams have about 4, milk 100 ml has 30, yoghurt doubles this. Fish like cod is higher, possibly 70 per 100 grams. Salmon is lower in iodine but has selenium which is essential for the conversion of t4,iodine to t3 the active form. so it is all too easy for us to be unaware we are deficient in these and other minerals as well as other vitamins d,c,and e for starters.
A consequence of having restricted microbes and or too many of the least helpful microbes (yeasts) is that we are less able to absorb sufficient nutrients from our diet. The microbes are responsible for breaking down the foods along with the digestive enzymes we should all produce.
Someone said, thinking of autism in this thread is not necessarily appropriate. I need digestive enzymes made for first for children with autism who share my issue with phenol. When our digestive biome is out of balance it sets in place the potential for a chain of issues relating to how we eliminate the chemicals we encounter in our modern world.
Someone else said of their undereating they felt better when the started to eat better again. One study done in London a couple of years ago and was the topic of a radio programme cited better t3 levels as crucial for the anorexic person. Ironically doctors are not permitted to test our t3 levels here in the UK.11 -
Actually, a very famous murder case was defended with "The Twinkie Defense." The man who murdered Harvey Milk received something crazy like 2 years in prison due to his junk food diet causing erratic behavior.
That's not correct, though that is the common belief.
The actual defense was that Harvey was suffering from depression that was untreated and therefore he was mentally impaired. That was proposed to have made him less capable of distinguishing right from wrong and not capable of premeditation.
The drastic change in his diet from health-conscious to junk foods was used as one evidence of his depression.5 -
Your diet and exercise regimen can affect your mental health. I always feel better if I exercise, even just a brisk walk and what I put in to my body affects how I feel as well. There are foods that I eat that will make me feel moody or grouchy after I eat them so I avoid them.2
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Yes, for sure.
That is why I am not a fan of long term diets.
Food restrictions yes, long term diets no thank you.0 -
SingRunTing wrote: »From my personal experience with depression, I think it's a little bit of both. I know that when I'm struggling with depression, I eat terribly (way too many calories and little fruits or vegetables). When I'm feeling good, I eat better.
However, I find that if I can recognize that I'm in the downward depression spiral (which isn't always easy to admit) and I start eating better and exercising, I find that I start feeling better. So, for me, it's both.
I have the exact same experience.1 -
Daily mood? Sure.
Deficiencies in some vitamins? Yes.
Mental illness from diet? No.
*course there are varying degrees of what people consider "mentally ill".4 -
Ok listen up folks, I am schizophrenic. When I'm symptomatic we eat crap. I'll tell ya why, because it is damn hard to concentrate when you have voices in your head telling you five million things and carrying on a conversation about exactly what you are doing at the moment.
When I'm not symptomatic, we eat well. Case closed. Ya heard it from the horses mouth.9 -
ScaledArtistHair wrote: »I used to ask that question all the time and to be honest with you from personal experience changing my diet has improved my moods my cognitive thinking and my overall health. Also a film came out within the past few years called that Sugar film it was actually really interesting documentary. If you have Amazon Prime it is free. It makes some interesting points
@ScaledArtistHair most all health professionals agree diet can have a huge impact on our mental and physical well being. Still sometimes we may need Rx Meds in the short run for mental and physical issues that may be diet related while we work to change our Way Of Eating to address these mental/physical health issues by finding a better WOE in their personal case that can greatly vary from person to person.3 -
Can diet affect your mental health?
This statement, is absolutely true. Exercise (or lack of) effects our mental health too.However, this person claimed that these people were mentally unwell BECAUSE they had a bad diet.
This, however is not. While we don't know the exact causes of mental illness, most research shows much stronger correlations between genetics and early development (Inutero thru early childhood) then it does to life events, diet or exercise. Then it also depends on which illness you are talking about. Some mental illness show very little improvement with diet or exercise (schizophrenia, autism), while others show stronger correlations (Depression, bipolar).
For me personal experience, I was diagnosed with mild bipolar as a child (along with my mother and we suspect my grandfather had issues too). At the time, I had no weight issues, nor did I have weight issues for nearly 15 years AFTER being diagnosed with mental illness. I was also able to manage my depressive states through diet, exercise and therapy. It wasn't until my pregnancies that I had to resort to medication for my depressive states. Coincidentally, that is also when I started down the road towards obesity. Interestingly enough, I was also able to come off the medication shortly after each child was born, even though my diet and exercise hadn't really improved yet. The only other time I had to resort to medication was when I went full stop on training/workouts in an effort to try and save my marriage. Within 4 months, my depression was spiraling bad enough that I went back to therapy and drugs until I said to hell with it (and the marriage) and got back on track with my workouts. I was back off the drugs within 2 months, even though my diet was crap (mostly fast food and take out).5 -
Can diet affect your mental health?
This statement, is absolutely true. Exercise (or lack of) effects our mental health too.However, this person claimed that these people were mentally unwell BECAUSE they had a bad diet.
This, however is not. While we don't know the exact causes of mental illness, most research shows much stronger correlations between genetics and early development (Inutero thru early childhood) then it does to life events, diet or exercise. Then it also depends on which illness you are talking about. Some mental illness show very little improvement with diet or exercise (schizophrenia, autism), while others show stronger correlations (Depression, bipolar).
For me personal experience, I was diagnosed with mild bipolar as a child (along with my mother and we suspect my grandfather had issues too). At the time, I had no weight issues, nor did I have weight issues for nearly 15 years AFTER being diagnosed with mental illness. I was also able to manage my depressive states through diet, exercise and therapy. It wasn't until my pregnancies that I had to resort to medication for my depressive states. Coincidentally, that is also when I started down the road towards obesity. Interestingly enough, I was also able to come off the medication shortly after each child was born, even though my diet and exercise hadn't really improved yet. The only other time I had to resort to medication was when I went full stop on training/workouts in an effort to try and save my marriage. Within 4 months, my depression was spiraling bad enough that I went back to therapy and drugs until I said to hell with it (and the marriage) and got back on track with my workouts. I was back off the drugs within 2 months, even though my diet was crap (mostly fast food and take out).
Diet CAN affect mental health negatively, but the other way around is more common. When I attempted a very low carb diet it messed with my brain chemistry and brought back issues I thought I left behind in my teen years. Things that are way out of character for me. Increasing my carbs resolved those issues and I was myself again.4 -
Not buying it completely. Go to Sedona. Lots of "clean" eaters there and many are nuttier than a fruit cake.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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This is a circular feedback loop. The brain operates on a complex series of biochemical reactions ultimately fueled by what we eat, so it stands to reason that a specific nutritional deficiency would impact mental health which has the potential of impacting decisions.
Specifically to obesity; however I think this has more to do with a victim mentality and the feeling of hopelessness. There is certainly correlation, but causation? Nearly impossible to identify if it does exist.
Interesting that many cults engage in specific tactics to make their subjects more susceptible - nutrient deprivation (particularly protein), sleep deprivation, etc.3 -
So someone was telling me the other day about how mentally unwell people tend to have bad diets and a higher risk for obesity. I looked this up and it's somewhat true. However, this person claimed that these people were mentally unwell BECAUSE they had a bad diet. This didn't make sense to me. I always thought that the mental illness came first and because of the illness, the person then has zero energy or motivation to shop, cook, etc and so often just eats crisps, microwave meals, takeaways/fast food etc which then leads to comorbid factors like obesity. What do you think?
Considering that the microbiome in your gut affects how you feel and perceive the world, and that 95% of your serotonin is made in your gut, and that anti-nutrients can negatively affect neurotransmitters, if you're mistreating your gut by eating foods that mess up your microbiome, if you're flooding your body with anti-nutrients, then yes, what you eat can affect your mental health12 -
Depauperating the gut of bacteria can predispose it to colonization by non-beneficial microbes. The recommendation to consume yogurt and other foods with microbes is simply to aid recovery of a balanced, healthy community within the gut. Recent studies show the gut microflora responds very quickly to what we eat.StarBrightStarBright wrote: »French_Peasant wrote: »Out of curiosity, what did she think the connection was between gut issues and ear infections? Just that a healthy gut might cure one problem so it might cure them all? Or was it to help re-establish his gut flora after the antibiotics did their damage to it?
I think it was more about re-establishing gut flora because it might be so inter-related to our whole body. She'd say things like "Make sure he eats lots of fruits and vegetables and yogurt for the next month, you don't want to mess with bad microbes, we're going to be talking about guts a lot in the next 10 years."
I am extremely skeptical of diet being a primary cause of a mental illness, although in this case the OP did not define what was meant by "mentally unwell".
It is not logical to think that humans have evolved to be so sensitive to diet that eating poorly results in erratic and "mentally unwell" behavior. However, the opposite seems logical... people who are suffering from a mental disorder may have diminished capacity to care for themselves and resort to eating foods that are easy to obtain, which typically means low quality (high fat, low nutrient) foods.
It isn't a matter of humans evolving to be so sensitive, but rather we haven't developed the capacity to not be sensitive to anti-nutrients that negatively affect us, including negatively impacting our neurotransmitters.
Garbage in, garbage out, in more ways than one.
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GaleHawkins wrote: »So someone was telling me the other day about how mentally unwell people tend to have bad diets and a higher risk for obesity. I looked this up and it's somewhat true. However, this person claimed that these people were mentally unwell BECAUSE they had a bad diet. This didn't make sense to me. I always thought that the mental illness came first and because of the illness, the person then has zero energy or motivation to shop, cook, etc and so often just eats crisps, microwave meals, takeaways/fast food etc which then leads to comorbid factors like obesity. What do you think?
@Macy9336 it seems to be the old chicken/egg question to a degree since mental illness can be trigger by diet and mental illness can impact our eating choices.
telegraph.co.uk/science/2017/05/12/anorexia-partly-genetic-eating-disorder-risk-could-passed-onto/
Breaching the Blood-Brain Barrier as a Gate to Psychiatric Disorder
https://hindawi.com/journals/cpn/2009/278531/
Do You Have a Leaky Brain?
Is a Leaky Blood-Brain Barrier part of your mental health problem?
balancingbrainchemistry.co.uk/peter-smith/112/Repairing-&-Making-the-Brain-Healthy/Leaky-blood-brain-barrier-and-mental-health.html
This actually a great article for those interested in the impact diet may have on mental health since it seems a leaking gut that can be triggered by diet may precede a leaking BBB. These may be some of the WHY factors that can impact body weight beyond just calories.
I think people really need to start understanding the causes and ramifications of a leaky gut, which pretty much all of us have to varying degree. This is probably one of the most important health and weight loss issues facing us today. Much of what we think of as healthy food contains within it the seeds of our demise.13 -
Mental health is a bit broad...maybe depression. Does a bad diet contribute to Schizophrenia? BPD? Othello Syndrome? No it doesn't
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Mental health is a bit broad...maybe depression. Does a bad diet contribute to Schizophrenia? BPD? Othello Syndrome? No it doesn't
Actually, there are reports of the reversal of schizophrenia with low-carb, ketogenic diet.
"We report the unexpected resolution of longstanding schizophrenic symptoms after starting a low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diet. After review of the literature, possible reasons for this include the metabolic consequences from the elimination of gluten from the diet, and the modulation of the disease of schizophrenia at the cellular level."
Schizophrenia, gluten, and low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diets: a case report and review of the literature
Nutr Metab 2009, 6:10
PMCID: PMC26524676 -
cmriverside wrote: »
So a Dr who is a:
- cardiologist,
- heart surgeon,
- heart transplant surgeon - both adult and pediatric (who, with his partner, has done more pediatric heart transplants than anyone else in the world),
- a researcher with almost 400 published articles spanning from the 1980's to present,
- inventor of medical devices for heart surgery,
- expert in immunology,
- pioneer in Xenotransplantation,
and has held the prestigious position of Professor and Chair of the Cardiothoracic Surgery Dept at Loma Linda University for many years ..... is a quack....because you say so?
And you're qualified to say so how?
Ummmm.... I would say such a professional's qualifications to speak on such subjects vastly outweigh your own.
I wonder who is more logical to listen to.....hmmmm...9 -
theresejesu wrote: »Mental health is a bit broad...maybe depression. Does a bad diet contribute to Schizophrenia? BPD? Othello Syndrome? No it doesn't
Actually, there are reports of the reversal of schizophrenia with low-carb, ketogenic diet.
"We report the unexpected resolution of longstanding schizophrenic symptoms after starting a low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diet. After review of the literature, possible reasons for this include the metabolic consequences from the elimination of gluten from the diet, and the modulation of the disease of schizophrenia at the cellular level."
Schizophrenia, gluten, and low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diets: a case report and review of the literature
Nutr Metab 2009, 6:10
PMCID: PMC2652467
The original post stated that people can get mentally unwell from a bad diet, this is not true. If you honestly also believe that someone with schizophrenia can be cured with a low carb diet then go tell it to the masses! I work for a mental health trust. We provide healthy alternatives and encourage clients to follow this lifestyle but diet is NOT the cause of their horrendous illnesses nor can it cure them7 -
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Yes and it can affect a child's mental health as well. Give your kids sodas and sugary crap or fast food all day and you'll have a grouchy kid that won't listen to you. I've actually had days like that with mine when they had too much junk and it's drastically different than when they eat fresh fruits or veggies and meats all day
I get grouchy if I eat fast food or anything greasy or get over full when I eat. Depends on the food though.
I used to have a book about Food and Moods and it was very interesting. It showed lists of foods you should not eat together that would affect mood and it was very true because I tried some and could tell a difference.9 -
Your mood is a very different thing to having a mental health problem..... 12
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