Fuel Your Tank

Do the foods we eat really impact our mental health?

When we think about mental health, what do we associate with it first?  While it can be easy to understand how our hormone levels or life experiences impact our brains, it is just as important to look at what we consume to fuel our minds. The foods we eat not only impact how our bodies function, but also how we experience the world.

With psychological illnesses making up such a large portion of the global burden of disease, researchers are constantly studying the links between determining lifestyle factors and mental health outcomes. Nutrition is consistently highlighted as one of the factors being the most impactful on a person's mental health. The proof is truly in the pudding. Recently, a study conducted in the Middle East observed the amount of dietary fiber consumed by its participants and how this linked to their self-reported mental health. These subjects were asked to report how much dietary fiber the consumed daily (measured in grams). From there, participants participated in a questionnaire that measured their levels of psychological distress, along with screening for specific mental illnesses like anxiety and depression. This research found a significant inverse relationship between the amount of dietary fiber a person consumed and their reported psychological distress levels. They also found an association between increased dietary fiber intake and decreased risk of experiencing anxiety and depression (Saghafian et al., 2021). While dietary fiber is just one component of a person's diet, it is suggested to have quite a significant impact on mental health. 

It is so important to have a close look at thee foods you are eating and how they allow you to think and feel on a daily basis. Measuring nutritional factors, such as dietary fiber, can be a great tool for finding small lifestyle changes that can have a huge impact on your overall mental wellbeing. 

Saghafian, Sharif, N., Saneei, P., Keshteli, A. H., Hosseinzadeh-Attar, M. J., Afshar, H., Esmaillzadeh, A., & Adibi, P. (2021). Consumption of Dietary Fiber in Relation to Psychological Disorders in Adults. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 12, 587468–587468. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.587468