The gut communicates with the brain through what is known as the organ-to-organ signaling system. Microbes in the gut produce neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and dopamine, which regulate our moods and emotions. Now there is a growing body of research showing that through these mechanisms, nutrition can influence mental health and the brain as a whole. As psychiatrist Drew Ramsey says, this is good news for us all: "We can't control our genes but we can control what we eat and thus take care of our brains on a daily basis".
Mediterranean Diet and Depression
It has been found that the Mediterranean diet may reduce symptoms of depression.
Although it's not even a diet, it's a whole cuisine based on foods familiar to people from Greece, Italy, and Spain. Studies show that people with depression on the Mediterranean diet are cured of it faster.
Here's how it was tested: American scientists gathered 67 people with clinical depression and divided them into two groups. One group was counseled by a nutritionist: he taught the participants the principles of the Mediterranean diet. The second group was counseled by a social support worker who did not give any dietary advice. All participants continued to take antidepressants if prescribed. After 12 weeks, all participants were tested for depression and the dietitian's group made more progress: 31% of participants stopped experiencing symptoms of depression. In the second group, there were only 9%.
Sugar and Productivity
The WHO recommends reducing the amount of added sugar in the diet - especially sweets and sodas. But it's not just the risks of obesity and tooth decay. The main calorie carrier in sugar is glucose. If too much glucose is eaten, the body does not have time to produce enough insulin and the excess glucose continues to circulate in the blood. According to one hypothesis, this leads to inflammation, among other things. And inflammation can negatively affect cognitive abilities.
In 2019, Chinese scientists analyzed the effects of added sugar on children ages 6 to 12. Tests showed that schoolchildren who drank sugary sodas or sugary tea twice a week or more often performed 1.6 times worse on schoolwork and IQ tests than their peers who avoided such drinks. If you have a sweet tooth and have taken IQ tests before and remember your past results - take the Cerebrum IQ test again, just for fun. If you wonder, is the Cerebrum IQ test free? Our answer is – of course. This is a free but very useful resource that can tell you a lot about yourself.
The Dangers of Highly Processed Foods
A diet that is commonly referred to as the Western diet - with lots of refined foods, convenience foods, and saturated fats - increases the risk of a large number of mental disorders, including depression. This has already been confirmed by many studies with large samples.
For example, French scientists tracked the fate of 27,000 people who were not depressed when the study began. Every six months, the participants had to provide three daily reports on eating behavior. Based on them, the scientists identified typical patterns of eating behavior. Separately, they paid attention to heavily processed food - with various flavor enhancers and sauces, pizza, burgers, sweets, instant noodles, and ready meals from the supermarket that only need to be heated up.
Examples of foods with minimal and strong processing:
Minimal processing | Heavy processing |
Beans: soybeans, peas, chickpeas, lentils | Chocolate drinks and yogurt with additives |
Nuts: unsalted peanuts, walnuts, almonds, macadamia nuts | Carbonated drinks and reconstituted juices |
Vegetables: tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, eggplant, zucchini, spinach, kale, arugula | Cookies |
Homemade red meat: pork and beef | Snacks |
Homemade chicken | Noodles and instant soups |
Fish: sardines, tuna, salmon | Processed meats: hamburger patties, sausages, cooked sausage, salami, ham, turkey breast. |
Eggs | Frozen convenience foods: pizza, nuggets, french fries |
Fruit | Bread, hamburger and hot dog buns, sweet rolls |
Sweets: candy, chewing gum, ice cream, jelly and chocolate. |
As a result, 8% of the participants were diagnosed with depression. Many of them ate predominantly processed food. According to the researchers' calculations, a 10% increase in processed food in the diet leads to a 21% increase in the risk of depressive symptoms.
But, as usual, scientists don't fully understand exactly why processed food may be harmful to health. One of the main hypotheses is that the body lacks important nutrients and the processes in which these substances are involved are impaired. Zinc deficiency creates problems in the transportation of dopamine, which affects a person's mood and mental stability.
Conclusion
Making healthy dietary choices is not only about taking care of your physical health, but also an investment in mental clarity, stress resilience, and emotional well-being. As researchers point out, even small changes to your diet can make a tangible difference. Start small by adding more fresh fruits and vegetables to your diet and gradually reduce your intake of processed foods. This approach will help improve your health and quality of life.
This article was written in cooperation with Redhead Digital Agency.