Fueling the Mind: Exploring the Powerful Links Between Nutrition and Mental Health

 

It’s not rare to hear a social media guru preach regarding the numerous benefits a nutritious diet yields to the human body. However, these physically manifested gains scarcely encompass all that one may gain from maintaining a strict diet and meal-routine. Going far beyond satiating our physical hunger, the consumption of nutritious food is also remarkably significant in terms of its contributions to the upkeep of our mental health. Recent research has repeatedly indicated an increasingly clear correlation: that a healthy diet positively impacts our psychological state alongside our physical wellbeing.  

From boosting our intake of vitamins and minerals to encouraging greater consumption of beneficial and nutritious foods with high fiber content, the somewhat cliche “healthy diet” is without a doubt a recipe for success when it comes to warding off symptoms of depression and other mental illnesses. Adhering to the ‘Mediterranean diet’, typically revered by proponents of healthy eating, has also been proven to cause a significant improvement in depressive symptoms. 

Males aged 18 to 25 suffering from moderate to severe depression saw their scores drop by over 20 points on average on the Beck Depression Inventory Scale-Version II after a 12-week controlled trial where these test subjects were instructed to follow eating patterns of those from Mediterranean regions, consuming fruits, vegetables, fish, and multiple other nutritious foods more frequently than they usually would.

The Singapore Association for Mental Health is an organization aimed at aiding affected individuals recover from and deal with mental health conditions, of which depression is certainly a main focus. Being based in a country where there is a strong culture of physical exercise and the government regularly hosts initiatives to encourage healthy eating and keeping fit, the Association could certainly benefit from a new approach to depression treatment by implementing the same ideas that gave rise to earlier studies and take nutrition and diet into mind when offering therapeutic services. 

While a healthy diet undoubtedly benefits those who possess the mental fortitude to stick to it with commitment and consistency, the greatest motivator to embrace a lifestyle of nutritious consumption should likely be the detrimental effects of leading an unhealthy lifestyle. Those who regularly consume large amounts of refined sugars place themselves at risk of increased inflammation and higher oxidative stress.

 To put it even more bluntly, studies have shown that a high rate of consumption of sugar directly impairs brain function. Additionally, should we take into account the indirect effects of a poor diet on the mental health of the individual, such as the social anxiety and insecurity caused by appearing unhealthy or being unable to conform to societal standards on physical appearance, it is hard to imagine any meaningful recovery from a condition such as depression without considering the implications of nutrition. 

In summary, nutrition is indisputably a powerful tool that can be used for manipulation of human hormones to act as an effective combatant against many mental health issues and effective dieting shows great promise as a possible form of depression treatment. As this subject becomes the focus of increased study, any organization or individual with an interest in mental and physical wellbeing in the community mustn’t discount the value of providing our minds with the right fuel.