Your foods are vital for your mental health. Brain foods are scientifically proven - incorporate a few specific nutrients into your diet and you can forget about mood swings, are calmer and happier! Learn about the gut-brain axis and how you can future-proof your mental health and wellbeing.
Meet your Teacher
Exeter, UK
Transcript
Hello and thank you for joining me today. Let's talk about mental health from a new perspective. Because your diet and lifestyle can affect your mood and your mental well-being in a positive way. The last two years catapulted mental health and well-being to the forefront of our minds. It's great to see that we are increasingly aware of the importance of mental health and well-being. We may even stop considering it a taboo eventually. I see positive signs in the organisations I work with. Some managers and leaders start normalising the conversations around mental health. They show vulnerability themselves and encourage their teams to openly deal with emotions. There's still a long way to go, But allowing a more supportive culture has thankfully become more and more the norm. But besides open conversations and support from friends and colleagues, There's a lot you can do yourself to help your mood and mental well-being. And that's my point today. We still sometimes feel helpless when we see others struggling or we don't know how to articulate our worries, Our fears or our feelings. We can support ourselves with small steps. But of course there's a point when you should get help. If you feel that you're suffering and you can't see a way out, Please speak to a doctor or mental health professional. Please do not suffer in silence. I hope that today I can give you a few pointers of easy to adopt ways of eating and living that can help you. I have recently conducted a worldwide study about the impact of food and lifestyle on mental well-being and brain productivity. So today I'm super excited to share some of the ideas how you can benefit from the findings in the same way the participants of the study did. When we're thinking of mental health, Nutrition is probably not the first thing that springs to mind. If anything, We think of comfort food or chocolate to make us feel better, But there's a lot more to it. Physical and mental health are intertwined and one certainly affects the other. Considering the different types and severity of mental health issues, It's clear that there's no one size fits all. But evidence shows that nutrition is definitely part of the puzzle at any stage of your journey from the very first onset to final recovery. I understand very well that eating the right foods, Which actually support your mental well-being may not be your priority when you are stressed, Suffering from mood swings, Feeling anxious. But once you know that your foods can make a difference, It's really worth a try. Most importantly, If you start doing the right things before you feel unwell, There is a chance that you can get over it much quicker. In the same way you can support your immune system to deal with an infection, You can prepare your brain to deal better with low mood. It would be too easy to say that diet causes mood swings, But if people are already vulnerable and affected by genetic and environmental factors like stress at work or at home, A traumatic experience or medical condition, Diet and a lack of certain nutrients can increase the risk of developing mood swings or even a mental health issue. We have known for quite a while that certain nutrients support mental health and a lack of these can contribute to the onset of poor mental well-being in all its forms. And it's great to see that there's actually now a field called nutritional psychiatry, Which focuses on combining food, Supplements and conventional treatment with medication to support patients with mental health disorders. Today I'd like to tell you a little bit more about the correlation between your gut and your brain, And I will touch on the most important nutrients which affect mental health positively on a daily basis. It may not come as a surprise that our body and mind are connected, And it's only recently that scientists found out how significant this connection actually is, Mainly between our gut and our brain. There's a significant communication going on between our central nervous system and the gut microbiota. The microbiota is defined as all the microorganisms living in our digestive tract. Basically, When our digestive system is well, Our central nervous system is happy too. The communication between the two takes place via hormones and neurotransmitters, Which are released from the gut and sent to the brain. And when we speak later about the nutrients which support mental health, This is because they are the precursors to those neurotransmitters. Early details about inflammation are being transferred quickly to the brain. Inflammation of the gut is linked to mental illness like anxiety and depression, Which is interesting for sufferers from IBS, Celiac disease, And people who generally have a sensitive stomach. You may experience stomach issues which get worse when you're stressed, Have an argument at home, Or suffer from low mood. The good news is that our gut is very receptive to changes. The relationship between your gut and your diet continues through your lives and it changes because you can impact your gut bacteria within 24 hours. So if you change your diet for the better, You will notice it rather quickly. But obviously, Negative changes to your diet follow the same rule. Eating foods without nutritional value, Too much sugar and overly processed foods which have been stripped out of their minerals and nutrients, Can disturb your gut bacteria. But besides your diet, Other aspects have an impact on the balance of gut bacteria. For example stress, That is no surprise, But also medication, Especially a cause of antibiotics, Was there not only killing the bad bacteria, But the good ones too. So what can you do? When we're looking at the help we can offer our digestive system, We need to differentiate between prebiotics and probiotics. Probiotics are live bacteria which can improve or restore your gut flora. You can add more variety of gut bacteria and focusing on those probiotics either in foods or as a supplement in tablet form. Prebiotics are the type of fiber in your food that feed the trillions of gut bacteria and keep them healthy so they can do their job. Obviously they're looking after your digestion but also your immune system and production of the hormone leptin that makes you feel full. To help your gut feeling great and communicate only the friendly and happy messages to your brain you need both probiotics and prebiotics. You can find probiotics in fermented foods like plain yogurt, Kefir, Kimchi or sauerkraut. If that sounds like an acquired taste to you, You can take probiotics as a supplement. After you have topped up your gut bacteria, As a next step increase your intake of prebiotic foods to feed these guys. Best foods are garlic, Onion, Leeks, Asparagus, Oats and apples, Chia seeds and flax seeds for example and also pre-cooked potatoes. When potatoes cool down the starch changes into so-called resistant starch which supports our gut. A recent study showed that a three-week probiotic treatment can help restoring your microbiota and reduce mood swings, Signs of depression, Stress and anxiety. People showed an overall happier mood, More energy and less brain fog. But there's more you can do. Now we know about probiotics and prebiotics we can support our mental health even better when we add certain nutrients to our diet. Researchers have observed that mental health disorders are increasing when the quality of our diet deteriorates. In developed countries we eat a greater variety of foods than ever before but that doesn't mean that we are well nourished. In fact many people do not eat enough nutrients that are essential for good brain health and opting for a diet of heavily processed foods containing artificial additives and sugar. Previous research has shown that nutritional deficiencies correlate with low mood and also some mental disorders. The most common nutritional deficiencies seen in mental health patients are omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins and amino acids. Recent research has shown that foods that provide zinc, Magnesium, Omega-3 and the vitamins B and D can help improve people's mood, Relieve anxiety to a certain extent and improve mental capacity. Magnesium is one of the most important minerals for optimal health. Think of it as the relaxation mineral. Anything that is tight, Irritable, Crampy, Stiff, Whether it's a body part or even a mood is a sign of a magnesium deficiency. One study found that a daily dose of magnesium led to a significant improvement in depression and anxiety regardless of age, Gender or severity of depression. The improvement did not continue when the supplement was stopped. But you can take magnesium in foods. The best foods are almonds, Cashew nuts, Brazil nuts and green leafy vegetables. A portion or two of these foods can help you balancing your magnesium levels on a daily basis. Omega-3 fatty acids are another nutrient that is critical for the development and function of the central nervous system. And a lack has been associated with low mood, Cognitive decline and poor comprehension. If you like fish, Salmon, Tuna, Mackerel are your best friends. Your body would be grateful some added magnesium to metabolize the Omega-3. You can add some fresh ginger, Watercress, Lima beans or have a handful of Brazil nuts as a snack afterwards. The next one on my list are B vitamins and zinc because they reduce the symptoms of anxiety and depression. All eight B vitamins are involved in a number of processes in the body. They support energy levels and keep our cells healthy. Our body can't store B vitamins very well so we need to consume them regularly. Most B vitamins can be found in meat, Fish and dairy. So if you are vegan or you don't like to eat animal products, You may want to consider a supplement. Zinc supports metabolism and brain function. If you like to add it to your diet, A great meal would be salmon and spinach with lentils and afterwards a yoghurt with dry roasted sunflower seeds. Our bodies can't make its own vitamin D unless we expose our skin to sunlight. No problem during summer but in the darker months a supplement can help. Let me finish with a simple checklist of good food habits to support your gut and support your mood. Eat yoghurt, Drink kefir or take a probiotic supplement to increase your gut bacteria. Feed your gut bacteria with prebiotics in apples, Oats, Leeks, Garlic, Flaxseeds. Take a vitamin D supplement in winter. Increase your intake of foods which are high in zinc, Magnesium, Omega 3 and B vitamins. And stay hydrated to help your gut and digestion. If you support your gut bacteria and increase your intake of those nutrients we discussed, Your mental well-being and your mood will definitely benefit. It's small and easy changes that can really make a big difference. Thank you very much and I hope to see you soon.
4.9 (77)
Georgann
November 13, 2025
Great message , I really enjoyed
Hannah
October 11, 2025
Great advice, delivered succinctly.
Brooke
January 11, 2024
Important information and really interesting to learn about the emergence of nutritional psychiatry . Ty
Damian
December 22, 2023
To the point and well presented. Easy to understand and to retain the information to apply to daily life.
Cathy
February 24, 2023
This is so helpful & great information. I have seen how my diet not only affects my health, but also my mood & gut health. Thank you.
Jenny
December 6, 2022
Great! Much needed info for brain and gut. Thank you!
