Does what you eat affect your mood?

We all know that eating healthier foods will have a positive effect on our physical health.  How does what we eat affect our mental health?  Are there really “brain foods”?  A review of 41 studies on diet and depression was recently published in Molecular Psychology.  In their review, the researchers looked at different diets such as the DASH diet, the Mediterranean Diet and the Healthy Eating Index.  

Most people realize that if you fill up on junk food, you won’t feel your best physically or mentally.  My neighbor calls it “brain fog”.  Research has shown that people who eat lots of fruits and vegetables and fish seem to have better mental health.  But is there an overall diet that is good for better mental health?  Yes.  The Mediterranean Diet came out on top in a review of many diets.  I wrote about the Mediterranean Diet in January as this diet is ranked number one as “Best Diets” for overall health by U.S. News & World Report (Best Diets for Health 2021).  The Mayo Clinic also recommends the Mediterranean Diet for heart health and now this diet is being recommended for brain health.  

 What foods are emphasized on the Mediterranean Diet?

• Focus on fruits, vegetables – not just 5 A Day but more like 7-10 servings a day
• Focus on Whole grains – whole grain cereal, whole grain bread, whole grain crackers, whole grain rolls, whole grain chips, whole grain pasta.
• Focus on healthy fats like olive oil, canola oil, corn oil, safflower oil
• Eat fish, beans, eggs and poultry every week
• Cut back on red meat – you don’t have to eliminate red meat but cut back on it.
• Dairy – have some yogurt, cheese and I enjoy a glass of real milk at every meal

Why is the Mediterranean Diet not only good for your physical health but also your brain health?

The Mediterranean Diet helps fight inflammation.  According to Drew Ramsey, “an associate professor of psychiatry at Columbia University and author of “Eat Complete”, inflammation can affect the way your brain repairs itself.  He also notes the Mediterranean Diet is also good for your “gut microbiome” which also affects depression.  Why would the Mediterranean Diet help your gut?  As I teach in nutrition, the good bacteria in your gut thrive on fiber.  Because the Mediterranean Diet focuses on fruit, vegetables and whole grains, it has lots of fiber which promotes good gut health.

No one food can ward off depression and improve mental health.  One doesn’t have to follow a Mediterranean Diet exactly to reap the benefits of eating healthier and promoting brain and physical health.  But you can add more fruits and vegetables to your diet and choose a healthy oil to have in your pantry.  So many people have diets with no whole grains.  If you aren’t eating any whole grains, how can you add some to your day?  As I noted in a previous blog, look at what you are eating and see if there is a whole grain version.  For example, I noted a student in my class snacked on Gold Fish.  If this student switched to whole grain Gold Fish, they would easily add some whole grains to their day. Another student snacked on Ritz Crackers.  Switching to whole grain Ritz crackers would add some whole grains.  Read about how you can add some whole grains to your day at:  Add some whole grain snacks to your day. 

What “brain foods” can you add to your diet this week? 

Sources:  review , Molecular Psychology , DASH diet , Mediterranean Diet , Healthy Eating Index , foods , healthy fats , Eat Complete , Add some whole grain snacks to your day  Image Sources:  Brain food ,  Mediterranean Diet , mood food