Understanding nutrition, depression and mental illnesses

Eating lots of 'ultra-processed' foods could harm your brain Ultra-processed foods have lots of added and unhealthy ingredients, such as sugar, salt, fat, artificial colors and preservatives. Examples include frozen meals, soft drinks, hot dogs and cold cuts, fast food, packaged cookies, cakes and salty snacks. These foods have been linked to an increased risk of heart disease, metabolic syndrome and obesity. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-lots-ultra-processed-foods-brain.html Understanding nutrition, depression and mental illnesses Few people are aware of the connection between nutrition and depression while they easily understand the connection between nutritional deficiencies and physical illness. Depression is more typically thought of as strictly biochemical-based or emotionally-rooted. On the contrary, nutrition can play a key role in the onset as well as severity and duration of depression. Many of the easily noticeable food patterns that precede depression are the same as those that occur during depression. These may include poor appetite, skipping meals, and a dominant desire for sweet foods.[1] Nutritional neuroscience is an emerging discipline shedding light on the fact that nutritional factors are intertwined with human cognition, behavior, and emotions. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2738337/ Brain foods: the effects of nutrients on brain function It has long been suspected that the relative abundance of specific nutrients can affect cognitive processes and emotions. Newly described influences of dietary factors on neuronal function and synaptic plasticity have revealed some of the vital mechanisms that are responsible for the action of diet on brain health and mental function. Several gut hormones that can enter the brain, or that are produced in the brain itself, influence cognitive ability. In addition, well-established regulators of synaptic plasticity, such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor, can function as metabolic modulators, responding to peripheral signals such as food intake. Understanding the molecular basis of the effects of food on cognition will help us to determine how best to manipulate diet in order to increase the resistance of neurons to insults and promote mental fitness. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2805706/ Nutritional psychiatry: Your brain on food Think about it. Your brain is always "on." It takes care of your thoughts and movements, your breathing and heartbeat, your senses — it works hard 24/7, even while you’re asleep. This means your brain requires a constant supply of fuel. That "fuel" comes from the foods you eat — and what’s in that fuel makes all the difference. Put simply, what you eat directly affects the structure and function of your brain and, ultimately, your mood. Like an expensive car, your brain functions best when it gets only premium fuel. Eating high-quality foods that contain lots of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants nourishes the brain and protects it from oxidative stress — the "waste" (free radicals) produced when the body uses oxygen, which can damage cells. Unfortunately, just like an expensive car, your brain can be damaged if you ingest anything other than premium fuel. If substances from "low-premium" fuel (such as what you get from processed or refined foods) get to the brain, it has little ability to get rid of them. Diets high in refined sugars, for example, are harmful to the brain. In addition to worsening your body’s regulation of insulin, they also promote inflammation and oxidative stress. Multiple studies have found a correlation between a diet high in refined sugars and impaired brain function — and even a worsening of symptoms of mood disorders, such as depression. September 18, 2022 https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/nutritional-psychiatry-your-brain-on-food-201511168626 5 Common Nutritional Deficiencies in Mental Health Problems Many times, deficiency of essential vitamins and minerals can compromise brain function and increase symptoms of depression, irritability, anxiety, and more. https://www.amenclinics.com/blog/5-common-nutritional-deficiencies-in-mental-health-problems/ The Malnourished Brain Our brain is extraordinary, and it needs plenty of energy to fuel all the functions it carries out. Hence, proper nutrition plays a vital role in brain function. Published on 3rd September 2021 https://dieteticallyspeaking.com/the-malnourished-brain/ The Relationship Between Nutrition and Mental Disorders MENTAL DISORDERS ARE INCREASING Every time someone says that a problem such as depression is increasing, this counterargument is always presented: ?No, there?s no evidence that it is increasing, but probably we?re just more sensitive to it nowadays, so people seek help more readily and it is diagnosed more often.? But is that true? In fact, current data suggest that severe psychiatric disorders such as bipolar disorder (which used to be called manic depression) and schizophrenia are indeed increasing. Epidemiological surveys from the late 19th century placed the prevalence rate at about 1.8 per 1000 people. In contrast, major U.S. surveys in the last 20 years peg the prevalence at around 15 per 1000. When we examine a more narrow range of history, comparing people who sought outpatient treatment for depression, the rate tripled from 7.3 per 1000 to 23.3 in just one decade (1987-1997). It is also important to note that many studies have shown that at least one-third of the homeless have severe psychiatric disturbances, as do a significant proportion of the prison population. The impact of mental illness is enormous. Depression is, of course, a life-threatening disorder. In a recent Swiss study, over 400 people who were hospitalized for a mood disorder were tracked 22 years later. The mortality rate was 76%, and the two leading causes of death were suicide and circulatory disorders. In the U.S., recent figures show that suicide was the 11th leading cause of death. THE NUTRIENT CONTENT OF FOOD IS DECREASING The fact that recent work has shown that our food?s nutrient content is decreasing has been said to be to be predictable: Soil that has never been cultivated in human history is rich in micronutrients (vitamins and minerals). Years of agricultural use results in depletion of many essential micronutrients. Remineralization of the soil with zinc, copper, selenium, vitamins, manganese, chromium, and so on is virtually unheard of. Where, then, are our fruits and vegetables and grains supposed to get the nutrients that our brains and bodies require as part of a daily diet? https://bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-244X-11-112 Impact of Early Childhood Malnutrition on Adult Brain Function: An Evoked-Related Potentials Study... https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2022.884251/full How does nutrition affect the developing brain? https://www.zerotothree.org/resource/how-does-nutrition-affect-the-developing-brain/ Neurodevelopmental, cognitive, behavioural and mental health impairments following childhood malnutrition: a systematic review https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/7/e009330