Can Food Boost Your Mood?

A quick and dirty overview of nutritional psychology

Nutritional psychology is a young field, but its ideas tell us what we’ve known for a long time. Food is fuel for not just our bodies, but our brains.

You’re going to have a bad time if you try to run a Formula 1 car off your corner gas station’s Regular. And, with psychiatric disorders, it’s very much the same.

You can’t eat low quality food and expect your brain to perform at its best. Here’s why:

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter. It has a huge effect on many processes in your body, including emotional regulation, sleep, and memory.

95 percent of serotonin production occurs in the GI tract, with the help of stomach bacteria. These “good” bacteria communicate with millions of neurons in your stomach and intestines. So it’s important to keep them in good health. They stay healthy and happy, so does your brain.

Because the health of your GI tract is vital for serotonin production, so is keeping the bacterial colonies healthy. There’s a stack miles high of studies on the health effects of the Western diet. But poor diet doesn’t only affect your body. Studies have compared the Western diet with traditional diets like the tradtional Japanese or Mediterranean. What they found was benefits weren’t limited to the body. It extended to the brain. The risk of depression is 25–35 percent lower for traditional diets vs. the modern Western diet.

Probiotics are supplements containing “good bacteria.” Think yogurt or kombucha. People consuming probiotics as part of their diet have been studied too. Anxiety levels, perception of stress, and general outlook were all more positive than people who didn’t.

The role of food in psychiatric care can’t be understated. This particular area where food and the brain collide is new and exciting. And it has the potential to help a world of people struggling with mental illnesses. So remember, you are what you eat.

Now get out there and care for yourselves! Spread a little happiness in the world today, my loves.

Lance is a writer, psychology nut, and native Texan. He enjoys coffee, reading, long walks along the beach, hair dye, and fun stationery. His dog, Charlotte, is napping on top of his right foot, which has just fallen asleep. Send help.

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