We know that the food we eat fuels our bodies – but what about our minds?
The powerful connection between diet and mood has long been overlooked. Fortunately, science is now catching up with what many of us intuitively know: how we nourish ourselves affects our brain function, resilience to stress, and even our risk of mental health conditions.
Your brain is an incredibly energy-demanding organ – consuming roughly a quarter of the calories you burn each day and requiring a constant supply of nutrients to function at its best. Beyond calories, certain vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids serve as building blocks for brain cells, while others help produce ‘feel good’ neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine, which regulate our mood and emotions.
Research has even shown that lower intakes of nutrient-dense foods and diets high in Ultra Processed Foods (UPFs) can lead to shrinkage of the hippocampus, a part of the brain responsible for memory, learning, and emotional regulation. So what does a brain healthy diet actually look like?
The SMILES trial found that following a Mediterranean diet led to a reduction in moderate to severe depression, with 32 per cent of participants achieving remission. Choosing whole and minimally processed foods, including plenty of colourful fruit and veg, legumes and wholegrains, as well as omega 3 fats are all brilliant ways to support your brain health.
A systematic review of scientific literature by researchers Laura LaChance and Drew Ramsey has also produced an evidence-based profiling system for depression – the Antidepressant Food Score (AFS) – which ranks foods based on their content of nutrients that may help prevent or promote recovery from depressive disorders. Topping the plant list are leafy greens, lettuces, peppers, and cruciferous vegetables.
While food is far from the only contributing factor when it comes to mood, small dietary changes can make a big difference to how you think, feel, and function every day.
Hannah Neville-Green is Riverford’s creative content executive & a qualified nutritional therapist.
Want to learn more? Read the full feature in issue 02 of Veg&Table magazine. Riverford customers can purchase a copy here.
0 Comments