How Diet Impacts Your Mental Health

Did you know that what you eat can directly affect your mental health? Research indicates that maintaining a balanced diet can significantly impact your emotions and overall mood. The nutrients obtained from various food groups play a crucial role in how your body and brain handle stress, anxiety, and depression.1 19 20 Eating a healthy diet is one of the many keys to nurturing positive mental health, which, in turn, supports a healthy and fulfilling life.

For some people, distinguishing between maintaining a healthy diet and becoming overly fixated on their eating habits can be challenging. What you eat can significantly impact your mental health — both positively and negatively. While incorporating more healthy fats, protein, fruits, and vegetables in daily meals can help elevate your mood and enhance your overall mental well-being, it’s crucial to remember that your diet should not prevent you from enjoying life. Without balance, a fixation on dieting can potentially become harmful and lead to an eating disorder.1

Eating disorders are mental health disorders that affect approximately 5% of the population and can have severe consequences for a person's physical and mental well-being.21 There are various types of eating disorders, with the most common ones being anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder. These disorders come with physical, mental, and emotional symptoms. Some general mental health symptoms associated with eating disorders include:2

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Compulsive exercising
• Obsessive thoughts about weight
• Body dysmorphia

Anorexia nervosa

Anorexia nervosa is characterized by severe calorie restriction as a means of losing weight. Individuals suffering from this disorder often resort to extreme measures to control their weight and body shape.3 Some physical symptoms of anorexia nervosa include:3

• Abnormal blood count
• Fatigue
• Insomnia
• Dizziness or fainting
• Thinning or loss of hair
• Cold intolerance
• Dry or yellowish skin
• Constipation and abdominal pain
• Irregular heart rhythms
• Loss of regular menstruation (amenorrhoea)
• Dehydration
• Low blood pressure
• Swelling
• Increased body hair growth to maintain warmth

Bulimia nervosa

Bulimia nervosa involves purging the food in one's stomach through vomiting, the misuse of laxatives, or other methods.18 Individuals with bulimia may engage in binge eating (consuming a large quantity of food) followed by purging.4 18 A few physical symptoms of bulimia nervosa include the following:4 18

• Swollen cheeks and jawline
• Gastrointestinal problems
• Scars, scrapes, or calluses on knuckles from purging
• Dental issues such as tooth decay and gum problems
• Fainting
• Irregular menstrual cycles
• Bloodshot eyes
• Dehydration

Binge-eating disorder

Binge-eating disorder (BED) is characterized by consuming a large amount of food within a short period. During a binge episode, individuals may continue eating even when they are already full. Often, they are unaware of the amount they are consuming and experience intense guilt afterward.5 A couple of the physical conditions associated with binge-eating disorder are type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.5

Eating disorders are serious mental health conditions that require prompt attention and treatment. Fortunately, there are various avenues through which individuals struggling with an eating disorder can access the help they need. If you or someone you know may be suffering from an eating disorder, consider taking the following steps:

• Reach out to a trusted person for support
• Attend group therapy sessions
• Find a therapist specializing in eating disorder treatment
• Consider an in-patient residential program

Sharing meals

Individuals grappling with an eating disorder often isolate themselves and spend significant time concealing their condition from loved ones. This is why sharing a meal with a friend or family member can be seen as a significant step on the road to recovery.

But, even for individuals not dealing with an eating disorder, eating meals with others offers numerous psychological and social benefits. Research has demonstrated that communal eating can directly influence your overall mood. The more time you spend eating with others, the happier and more satisfied you tend to be with life due to an increased sense of belonging and community.6

Different foods provide the body with various vitamins and minerals, underscoring the importance of dietary variety. Food can influence your mood by affecting serotonin levels, a neurotransmitter that regulates sleep, mood, and appetite. Since most of your body’s serotonin is produced in the gut, what you eat plays a vital role in determining the amount of serotonin in your system.22

Including whole grains, fruits, and vegetables in your daily diet can significantly impact your physical and mental well-being. These food groups contain naturally occurring serotonin and dopamine, which can enhance overall mood. They also provide essential vitamins and minerals for your body's optimal functioning. Foods like fish, fresh vegetables, and fruits are rich in mood-boosting nutrients and can potentially alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression.7

Protein and amino acids

Protein, composed of amino acids, offers numerous benefits to your body, including the breakdown of food, growth, and repair of body tissues, energy provision, maintenance of healthy skin and nails, muscle development, immune system support, normal digestion, and the production of various hormones and neurotransmitters.

To ensure your body functions properly, you need 20 different types of amino acids. Different foods contain different amino acids, so it’s crucial to incorporate a wide range of healthy foods into your diet to ensure you get the necessary nutrients.

Complete proteins are foods that contain all nine essential amino acids. Some examples include beef, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy products, soy, quinoa, and buckwheat.

Incomplete proteins contain some, but not all, of the necessary amino acids. Nuts, seeds, beans, and certain grains fall into this category.8

Healthy fats

Healthy fats are essential for supporting proper brain function. Your brain consists of approximately 60% fat, highlighting the importance of incorporating the right types of fats into your diet.23 Omega-3 fatty acids, in particular, play a crucial role in learning and memory. You can find omega-3s in foods like salmon, sardines, and other fatty fish.9

Eating regularly

Your brain is constantly active, even while you sleep, and it relies on a steady supply of fuel to function optimally. This fuel typically comes from the nutrients obtained through your meals. Consistently eating at regular intervals throughout the day ensures a reliable energy source for your brain. Regular meals also prevent significant fluctuations in blood sugar levels, which can negatively impact mood and lead to fatigue or irritability.10

The importance of hydration

Water makes up a significant portion of your body weight, ranging from 50% to 70%. Adequate hydration is crucial, as it aids in waste elimination, moderates body temperature, lubricates and cushions joints, and protects sensitive tissues. Dehydration can leave you feeling tired, overwhelmed, and struggling to complete daily tasks, ultimately affecting your mental health and potentially leading to increased stress levels.

Your adequate daily fluid intake should be about 11.5-15.5 cups of water (about 20% of which comes from food) daily to maintain proper hydration and support your mental well-being.11

How caffeine can influence your mood

Caffeine is an addictive substance that helps people stay awake and, in theory, more focused. However, caffeine can only provide artificial energy, not the naturally occurring energy your body needs. It works by blocking adenosine, a chemical that accumulates during the day and induces feelings of tiredness at night. By binding to adenosine receptors, caffeine prevents drowsiness and allows dopamine to flow more freely, resulting in a perceived sense of energy and alertness.

Caffeine can have both positive and negative effects on mental health, depending on the amount consumed. Moderate coffee consumption, around one or two cups per day, has been associated with reduced cognitive decline, improved learning consolidation, and even a lower risk of depression. However, excessive caffeine intake can lead to increased anxiety, irritability, insomnia, rapid heartbeat, and restlessness. If you enjoy coffee and prefer not to eliminate it from your diet, it's important to be mindful of your consumption and how it affects your mood and sleep patterns.12

The gut and the brain communicate through the vagus nerve, establishing a direct link between the two. The gut can affect emotions in the brain, while the brain can influence the types of bacteria that flourish in the gut. These two systems are intricately connected, meaning that what you eat directly impacts how your brain functions. Research has revealed that 95% of the body's natural serotonin supply, a chemical responsible for regulating mood, is produced in the gut. Consequently, your dietary choices can significantly impact how you feel.22

How stress affects digestion

Stress and digestion are closely linked. When an individual experiences stress, their digestion slows down as the body enters a fight-or-flight response. Under intense stress, the digestive system cannot function properly.13

Some common outcomes of stress on your gut include:13

• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Peptic ulcer
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease
• Motility alterations

In addition to maintaining a balanced diet, incorporating self-care activities into your daily routine can significantly improve your mental health. Below, we detail some various self-care strategies.

We’ve gathered a collection of helpful resources on healthy eating, learning about eating disorders, and caring for your mental health.

Healthy eating

• The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) - MyPlate
• Harvard’s School of Public Health - Healthy Eating Plate
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Healthy Eating for a Healthy Weight
• The American Heart Association - Healthy Eating
• 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans

Information on eating disorders

• The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA)
• NEDA - Eating Disorders Screening Tool
• NEDA - Warning Signs and Symptoms
• National Institute of Mental Health - Eating Disorders
• The American Psychiatric Association - What are Eating Disorders?

Mental well-being

• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
• National Institute of Mental Health - Caring for Your Mental Health
• National Institute of Mental Health - Help for Mental Illnesses
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)

Additionally, here’s how you can get in touch with various crisis hotlines.