The Standard American Diet (SAD), that can cause diabetes, heart disease and cancer, may also be affecting the way people think. The National Institutes of Health says that approximately one quarter of Americans “suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year.” Now new research suggests that the SAD diet is making us sad, or crazy, or mentally disordered…
Studies have shown a close association between the food you eat and the mood you have. Consistent results suggest that “eating foods rich in whole, unprocessed, nutrient-rich” foods are associated with fewer incidences of mental health problems. Diets high in “junk food” including fried and processed foods, sugar, refined grains, etc. are associated with higher rates of mental disorders. While there is just a correlation, not causation, the correlation is significant and should not be ignored.
Much of the research is investigating the so-called gut-brain connection and its role in mental illness. Microbes, some good and some bad, live in the gut are now believed to have “direct communication with the brain and have a powerful role in our physical and mental health.” When you eat too much “junk food” you encourage growth of the disease-promoting bacteria. This upsets the balance of the gut microbiome.
Studies in rodents have shown that an imbalanced gut microbiome can “force changes in brain chemistry, mood, and behavior that encourage depression and anxiety.”
Human studies are just getting started. But there are many people who junk the junk food and start eating unprocessed whole foods and find relief from symptoms of mental illness and mood disorders. While some of it involves a gluten-free diet, there is apparently much more to a whole food diet than originally understood.
A whole food diet seems to “heal the gut microbiome and control systemic inflammation because of antioxidant-rich and omega-3 fats have an anti-inflammatory effect on the body – and the mind.”
Eat more veggies.
Nature knows best.