By Andrea Hunsaker
“Good food is the foundation of genuine happiness.”
With the end of the pandemic in sight, we are collectively crawling out of our bunkers in our forgiving elastic-waisted sweatpants and blinking into the sun. We all had our coping strategies over the past year. One of mine was that seducing siren tonic—sugar, in all its forms. Normally, sans outbreak, I am a respectably healthy eater who takes secret pleasure in the sound of my family’s complaints when I serve quinoa and kale, but those habits have slipped this past year. It happened to the best of us. Even Dr. Warren admitted to eating 42 McDonald’s bacon, egg, and cheese biscuits in one month. (Do the math for that one)! One large survey from a COVID-19 symptom study found an increase in snacking and an average gain of 7 pounds during the lockdown. So, we coped by eating junk food because we were a bit—or a lot—anxious and depressed. …Or, was it also the other way around? What if the junk food contributed to our blues?
I’ve always suspected my stomach had a mind of its own, but recent research on the gut-brain connection brings our understanding of the power of our bellies over our mental health to a profound new level. The gut has been named the “second brain” because it contains 100 million neurons which communicate with the brain in our head through the vagus nerve and produces many of the same neurotransmitters (like serotonin, dopamine, and GABA), all of which play important roles in mood regulation. In fact, it is estimated that the bacteria in the gut produce 95% of the body's supply of serotonin. It is now thought that trouble in the microbiome of the gut may contribute to an array of diseases such as depression, anxiety, memory loss, hypertension, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. People with chronic GI disorders such as Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) have much higher than normal odds of also suffering from anxiety and depression.
Dr. Leslie Korn, an expert in mental health nutrition, and author of Eat Right, Feel Right declares, “There is no doubt that nutrition affects mental health. Poor nutrition leads to and exacerbates mental illness. Optimal nutrition prevents and treats mental illness.” Observational studies support her assertion; for example, one study found that adhering to a traditional Mediterranean and anti-inflammatory diet offers some protection against depression (Lassale et al., 2019). Additionally, studies where participants ate more fruits and vegetables reported increased life satisfaction, happiness, vitality, flourishing, and well-being (Blanchflower et al., 2013; Conner et al., 2017). This is great news, because this is something we can control. Along with exercise, gratitude, and the other strategies you’ll find on this website, nutrition is a strategy fully within our power to lead to a better life.
Korn refers to the digestive system as a garden that requires a variety of the right amounts of different elements for proper function. Here are some of her suggestions:
Eat More…
Soluble fiber (oat bran, nuts, beans, lentils, peas, chia seeds, barley, and some fruits and vegetables) and insoluble fiber (wheat bran, corn, whole grains, oat bran, seeds, nuts, brown rice, axseed, and the skins of many fruits and vegetables). Fiber increases the feeling of fullness, slows down the absorption of glucose, and absorbs water like a sponge to help push materials through the digestive tract. The Standard American Diet (which makes us SAD) is notoriously low in fiber. Women should aim for 25 and men 36 grams of fiber per day. Korn refers to fiber as the ‘soil’ for the microbiome garden which allows healthy bacteria to grow.
Prebiotics (onions, garlic, Jerusalem artichokes, leeks, asparagus, wheat, beans, bananas, agave, dandelion, chicory root, and chia). These support the good bacteria that live in the colon.
Probiotics or fermented foods (sauerkraut, kefer, kombucha, kimchi, miso, microalgaes, brewer’s yeast, yogurt and cheeses with live cultures, and probiotic supplements). There are 400-500 different kinds of beneficial live microorganisms that inhabit the intestines and are responsible for transforming food particles into chemical messengers that support our emotional and cognitive life.
Anti-inflammatory foods (berries, fatty fish, broccoli, avocados, green tea, peppers, mushrooms, grapes, turmeric, extra virgin olive oil, dark chocolate and cocoa, cherries, and tomatoes). These foods are the colors of the rainbow and support mental health.
Natural saturated fats (butter, coconut, tallow, and animal fats) polyunsaturated fats (soybean oil, corn oil, sunflower oil, nuts, seeds, leafy greens, and fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, herring, mackerel, and sardines), and monounsaturated fats (avocado, olives, olive oil, and tree nuts) all support brain health.
Eat Less…
Sugar and refined carbohydrates (desserts, soda, energy drinks, white bread, pasta, white rice, crackers, flour tortillas, and biscuits). These foods cause unhealthful, inflammation-boosting changes to gut bacteria. Inflammation has been observed to contribute to the development of a wide range of psychiatric conditions (Pariante, 2018).
Trans fats (commercially processed foods, crackers, chips, salad dressings, shortening, partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, margarine). Even limited amounts of trans fats have been found to disrupt the body’s ability to use essential omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which are necessary for brain health and as a protection against mental illness.
Processed meats (bacon, beef jerky, salami, hot dogs). Chemicals used to cure these meats (nitrates) have been connected to psychiatric disorders (Khambadkone et al., 2020).
With the knowledge of just how much food affects mood, I now have a new weapon in my “fueling the family” arsenal. The other night when attempting to serve sardines, I promised, “It will protect you against depression!” To which my teenager responded, “If you make me eat that, I will be depressed.” Resistant teenagers aside, Korn acknowledges that making long-lasting dietary changes doesn’t come easy. She suggests finding substitutes for the things you love - like switching out some white sugar with honey or stevia, or a traditional hot dog for an organic replacement. You might try an experiment for a few weeks and notice what happens. A review of our module on personal growth and achieving goals might also help to convert the resistant teenager within. As for me, I’ll deliberate a little longer before my next donut.
“I guarantee you, if you improve your food, you will improve your mental health.”
Call it a gut feeling, but I suspect she’s right.
For a deeper dive into this subject, try these sources:
https://www.healthline.com/health/best-diets-for-mental-health
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/312158346_The_Second_Brain_Trust_your_Gut
https://psychscenehub.com/psychinsights/the-simplified-guide-to-the-gut-brain-axis/
References
Blanchflower, D., Oswald, A., & Stewart-Brown, S. (2013). Is psychological well-being linked to the consumption of fruit and vegetables? Social Indicators Research, 114(3), 785–801. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-012-0173-y.
Conner, T. S., Brookie, K. L., Carr, A. C., Mainvil, L. A., & Vissers, M. C. (2017). Let them eat fruit! The effect of fruit and vegetable consumption on psychological well-being in young adults: A randomized controlled trial. PLoS One, 12(2). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0171206.
Lassale, C., Batty, G. D., Baghdadli, A., Jacka, F., Sánchez-Villegas, A., Kivimäki, M., & Akbaraly, T. (2019). Healthy dietary indices and risk of depressive outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. Molecular Psychiatry, 24(7), 965–986. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-018-0237-8
Pariante, C. (2018). Why are depressed patients inflamed? A new path to personalized treatment in psychiatry, Psychiatric Times, 35(5). https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/why-are-depressed-patients-inflamed-new-path-personalized-treatment-psychiatry.
Khambadkone, S. G., Cordner, Z. A., Dickerson, F., Severance, E. G., Prandovszky, E., Pletnikov, M., ... & Yolken, R. H. (2020). Nitrated meat products are associated with mania in humans and altered behavior and brain gene expression in rats. Molecular psychiatry, 25(3), 560-571. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-018-0105-6.