Nutrition and Its Effect on Mood
by Florence Larkin
The foods you eat and the nutrients you get from them greatly affect your health. Some foods in particular, though we may not notice it, have an extremely negative impact on your overall health and increase your risk of cancer and heart disease. Numerous studies have shown that eating processed foods, especially processed meats, is bad for you. Another part of being healthy is having a healthy gut biome, which refers to the bacteria that live in your stomach and help you digest food. Specifically in terms of mood and mental health, having a healthy gut biome has shown to greatly improve your overall mood and mental health.
First, we need to look at why processed food is so bad, and why we as a society are addicted to it. When you eat junk food, it sends your body mixed signals, which causes you to overeat and become basically addicted to these types of foods. There’s also the fact that foods with a lot of processed sugar like ice cream and cake are seen by a lot of people as comfort foods. Since we associate them with important events such as birthdays or holidays, our mind is programmed to associate those foods with positive things. Some people also tend to eat more junk food/processed foods when they are emotionally distressed, which can have a numbing effect. This is because these foods are very hard to digest, so they pull a huge part of the body’s energy from your brain to your digestive system. This causes you to become sluggish and subdued due to lack of energy. If people continue to cope with their emotions through using junk food, eventually it forms a habit that is very hard to break.
Another problem with processed foods, especially processed meats, is antibiotics. Livestock are given large doses of antibiotics, and traces of those are found in meat. Also, all the chemicals used as preservatives in food are made to kill fungus and bacteria that would make the food go bad faster. These chemicals are antibiotics under a different name, and they are very harmful to humans, because not only do they kill the “bad” bacteria growing on food, they kill the “good” bacteria in our stomachs as well. The other chemicals in these foods, such as coloring and flavoring agents, are not good for healthy bacteria in your stomach either. If the microbiome in your stomach isn’t doing well, your health and mood will be negatively affected. Bacteria in your gut produce vitamins and break down food, and interestingly enough, the absence or presence of bacteria has been linked to obesity, inflammatory bowel disease, possible multiple chronic inflammatory condtions and other harmful side effects of prescription medications. These bacteria also have been found to make neurochemicals such as dopamine, serotonin, and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). These chemicals can have a play in intestinal disorders that coincide with and modulate depression and anxiety disorders.
Since we know that the health of our gut bacteria can play a substantial part in our overall health, we should try to eat in a way that is good for them. This sustains and balances the bacteria. Some doctors recommend taking probiotic supplements as well, in order to enhance the development and repopulation of good bacteria in the gut. The first and most important thing is to try and cut processed foods such as meats with a lot of preservatives, foods with a lot of processed sugar, and fast food in general, out of your daily diet. Also trying to find more organic options is good because pesticides that are sprayed on some inorganic foods can be very harmful for you.
A diet that was recommended by doctors to help keep your gut bacteria healthy consists of minimal carbs, more healthy fats and fiber. This is because your body can process fats by themselves, but is not good at processing refined sugar, since ingredients like these sugars and other chemicals such as preservatives aren’t natural, and are harder to digest, or can’t be digested at all. Natural fats however, such as fat from meat, are very helpful to your body, especially your brain, because your brain needs fat to function properly. Foods with a low glycemic index (low sugar content) such as legumes,nuts and animal protein are beneficial because these help to regulate blood sugar. People who suffer from depression are commonly deficient in certain nutrients, including vitamin B-6, vitamin B-12, and folic acid. Foods that are high in folic acid are green leafy vegetables such as spinach and kale, can raise serotonin levels in the brain. Deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids are also linked to depression. Fish, walnuts, and flaxseeds are some examples of food that is high in omega-3s.
In summary, nutrition is a very important part of our lives, and it affects both our bodies and our minds. The connection between the gut biome, our gut brain, and mental health is important in understanding how to improve our overall health. Making healthier choices leads to a decrease in the risk of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s, and it also will improve your mental health as well. Avoiding processed foods and choosing natural options will be beneficial in the long run, not only will you be healthier, you will be happier.
Works Cited:
“Can the Bacteria in Your Gut Control Your Mood?” by Peter Andrey Smith, New York Times
Brain Maker by David Perlmutter
The Microbiome Solution by Robynne Chutkan
Clean Gut by Alejandro Junger
