Super-processed foods that are high in sugar, fat and empty carbohydrates have a negative effect on the body as well as the mind. Micronutrient deficiencies affect brain function and affect mood and mental health symptoms.
Emotional, irrational, and even explosive remarks in public discourse have escalated in recent years. Politicians endure insults during discussions in the legislature. Scientists receive emails and tweets containing verbal abuse and intimidation.
What’s wrong? This escalation in anger rhetoric can be due to social media. But are there any other implications that change your communication style?
As a researcher in the fields of nutrition and mental health, and Better brainWe recognize that many of our societies experience brain starvation, impairing cognitive function and emotional regulation.
Super processed product
Obviously, we are not deficient in micronutrients. North Americans tend to get enough protein, fat (although not usually the best fat), and carbohydrates (usually not good complex carbs). But we are fooled by micronutrients (minerals and vitamins), especially those whose food choices are dominated by super-processed products.
Super-processed products include soft drinks, packaged snacks, sweetened breakfast cereals, and chicken nuggets. They generally contain only small amounts of micronutrients, unless they are fortified, but nonetheless, in higher amounts they are very small.
Three published analyzes from the 2004 Canadian Community Health Survey and the 2018 US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey revealed these cool statistics. In the United States, 67% of children aged 2 to 19 years consumed and 57% of adults consumed in 2018 were super-processed products.
Most of us recognize that dietary intake is a major health problem because dietary quality is associated with chronic health conditions such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The public is less aware of the effects of nutrition on brain health.
Micronutrients and Mental Health Symptoms
Given the very strong shift in food choices in our society to ultra-processed products, micronutrient intake affects mental health symptoms, especially hypersensitivity, explosive anger and unstable mood. You need to learn about the substantive scientific evidence that proves to give.
The basis of the scientific evidence for this statement is now vast, but it is rarely mentioned in the media, so the general public is hardly familiar with it. According to 12 studies from countries such as Canada, Spain, Japan and Australia, people who eat a healthy whole food diet have more symptoms of depression and anxiety than those who eat a poor diet (mainly super-processed products). It has been shown to be low.
Correlation studies cannot prove that nutritional choices are the cause of mental health problems. Therefore, people without obvious mental health problems participated in the study and were evaluated for health and dietary patterns, which continued over time. Some of the results were amazing.
In a study of about 89,000 people in Japan who followed up for 10 to 15 years, the suicide rate of those who took a whole food diet was half that of those who took a diet in poor health, and the current suicide prevention program. Emphasizes an important new direction that has not yet been covered. ..
Here in Canada, similarly strong findings are presented to the diagnosis of mental illness in the next two years for children aged 10 to 11 years, according to their dietary patterns and other health guidelines for exercise and screening time. It shows that you predicted. Therefore, nutrition education should be one of the first treatments for children in this situation.
Sensitivity and unstable mood often characterize depression, so multiple independent studies teach people with depression who have consumed a relatively poor diet how to switch to a Mediterranean-style diet. It is related to the discovery that has brought about significant improvements. Mediterranean-style diets are usually high in unsaturated fats such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, seafood, and olive oil.
In one such study, about one-third of people who switched to a Whole Foods diet in addition to their usual treatment found that depression was in remission after 12 weeks.
The remission rate of the control group who received regular treatment but did not change their diet was less than 1/10. The whole food diet group also reported a cost savings of about 20% on a weekly diet budget. This last point helps dispel the myth that eating a diet of super-processed products is a way to save money.
Important evidence that aggravation, explosive anger, and unstable mood can be resolved by improving micronutrient intake comes from studies evaluating micronutrient supplements for treating mental health problems. increase. Most common perceptions are limited to the unlucky search of magic bullets: the study of a single nutrient at a time. This is a common way to think about causality (in case of problem X, you need drug Y), but it’s not the work of our brain.
To support the metabolism of the brain, our brain needs at least 30 micronutrients to ensure the production of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine, and to break down and eliminate metabolic by-products. Many studies on hyperactivity treatment, including placebo-controlled randomized trials in children with hyperactivity disorder and mood dysregulation, have shown improvement in mood control and reduced irritability and explosive rage. understand.
Evidence is clear: a nutritious population can tolerate stress. Hidden brain hunger is one modifiable factor that contributes to emotional outbursts, aggression, and even loss of politeness in public discourse.
Bonnie Kaplan has retired and is currently unfunded by any organization. However, during her career, she received many grants from private foundations (donor funds) and state funding competition. Her current sole affiliation is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the John W. Brick Foundation.
Julia J Rucklidge receives or receives research funding from the Health Research Council (NZ), Waterloo Foundation, Vic Davis Memorial Trust, University of Canterbury Foundation, Canterbury Medical Research Foundation, GAMA Foundation, and Foundation for Excellence in Mental Health Care. ..
