Is your diet derailing your mental health?

Can you eat your way to a healthier mind?

One in ten Aussies say they have poor diets and according to a clinical psychologist, this could be putting them at risk of mental health disorders and cognitive damage. 

We already know what we eat can affect how we feel, but can our diets worsen our mental health?

According to Body+Soul’s Health of the Nation report, one in ten Aussies describe their diet as poor or very poor. Gen Z and Millenial respondents also reported they take supplements as they are concerned about brain function and dietary deficiencies.

Clinical psychologist and founder of The Calming Suite Psychology Centre, Dr Alissa Knight tells Body+Soul, “consuming high volumes of certain dietary patterns could substantially lead to various mental health disorders and even irreversible neuronal and cognitive damage.”

How does our diet impact our brains? 

Aside from our feelings about the foods we eat, our diet can have a profound physical impact on our brains. 

Knight says, “While all brain regions are vitally important for optimal mental health, two key areas are particularly important and extremely vulnerable to the effects of diet; the prefrontal cortex (PFF), and the limbic system.”

The PFF plays a key role in functions including “planning, decision making, inhibition, working memory, self-control, flexible thinking, attention, personality expression and maintaining social appropriateness”, while the limbic system is “especially important for the regulation of emotions, behaviours (fight and flight responses), memories, motivation, regulation of hunger, thirst and mood.”

“While all brain regions are vitally important for optimal mental health, two key areas are particularly important and extremely vulnerable to the effects of diet; the prefrontal cortex (PFF), and the limbic system.” Image: Canva

Potentially damaging features of our diets

The clinical psychologist explains that “diets high in saturated fat, refined sugars and simple carbohydrates” are strongly linked to “neurodegeneration, depression, anxiety and even Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)”.

Adhering to these diets for an extended period of time can put us at risk of “developing poor mental health and impairment in age-related cognitive functioning.”

She adds that diets consisting of a large portion of inflammatory foods, such as sugar-sweetened soft drinks, refined grains, red meat and diet soft drinks have been linked to an increased risk of depression.

Diets consisting of a large portion of inflammatory foods, such as sugar-sweetened soft drinks, refined grains, red meat and diet soft drinks have been linked to an increased risk of depression. Image: Unsplash

Protective features of our diets

Comparatively, Knight says eating patterns such as the traditional Mediterranean diet can promote “optimal mental health and protection against mental illness.”

This style of diet is largely based around plant-based foods – with dairy, poultry, seafood and eggs added in moderate amounts. 

Ingredients to support our mental health

The expert says “you can dramatically impact the molecular structure, quality and function of your brain, including your mood purely by the choice of food fuel you consume.”

She recommends eating foods that promote good mental health and protect against cognitive impairment, including:

• Fish
• Red wine
• Green leafy vegetables
• Whole grains
• Walnuts in isolation
• Mixed nuts
• Olive oil

The expert says “you can dramatically impact the molecular structure, quality and function of your brain, including your mood purely by the choice of food fuel you consume.”

Studies have shown consuming more omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids can improve symptoms of major depressive disorder, Bipolar Disorder and ADHD.

You can up your intake with foods such as:

• Salmon
• Tuna
• Mackerel
• Seaweed
• Kidney beans
• Spinach
• Flaxseeds
• Chia seeds
• Avocados
• Walnuts

The psychologist acknowledges that although an anti-inflammatory, microbiome-supporting diet rich in omega-3 and 6 fatty acids seems like an ideal choice for those wanting to support their mental health, this isn’t sustainable for some people. 

“It is really about making small, realistic goals with diet and over time building it into a  feasible and optimal lifestyle change.”

Originally published as Is your diet derailing your mental health?