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Topic summary contributed by volunteer(s): Claire
Plant-based diets appear to influence mental health positively. Vegetarians, in cross-sectional and interventional studies, showed fewer symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress, and mood disturbance than omnivores. Higher levels of antioxidants in the blood from plant sources have been associated with a significantly lower risk of depression, and lower suicide rates have been tied to higher consumption of fruit, vegetables, nuts, and soy and lower intake of dairy, meat, and fish.
Chicken has been linked to a variety of neurological and psychiatric conditions. Arachidonic acid, found at particularly high levels in chicken and eggs, produces inflammatory compounds that may affect our brains. Chicken has low levels of omega 3 fatty acid, a vital nutrient for the brain. Toxoplasma brain parasites from meat have been linked to schizophrenia and bi-polar disorder. Glycotoxins—found primarily in chicken, pork, beef, and fish—increase the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s. High consumption of fish has been associated with an increased risk of mental disorders, lower testosterone (which can lead to depression), and chronic fatigue syndrome and depression.
Frequent ingestion of the artificial sweetener, aspartame, may increase risk of depression and other mental disorders. Artificial coloring in foods may increase impulsivity, inattentiveness and hyperactivity in children. Children whose mothers ate more licorice during pregnancy were more prone to attention, speech, and visual-spatial ability problems.
Research has shown that certain foods and nutrients may have positive effects on mental illnesses. Green tea may help improve one’s mood. Eating seeds high in tryptophan may be an effective treatment for social anxiety disorder. The serotonin contained in fruit has the potential to alleviate depression. Probiotics may help decrease symptoms of anxiety, depression, anger, and hostility. Evidence is growing that the spice saffron produces a drop in depression symptoms comparable to Prozac. The spice turmeric may help lessen the symptoms of Alzheimer’s. Exercise can help mitigate ADHD symptoms and combat depression.
Those adhering to a strict plant-based diet should eat foods fortified with vitamin B-12 or take supplements to avoid a vitamin B-12 deficiency, which has been linked to cases of psychosis, suicidal depression, and cognitive decline.
Public awareness and education related to mental health issues are of utmost importance. Many herbal products like chlorella are being marketed to promote mental health without an adequate research base. In the area of clinical drug trials, a recent analysis uncovered a bias for publishing only those studies that provided positive evidence of antidepressant drugs’ effectiveness.
Image Credit: llhedgehogll / Thinkstock. This image has been modified.
The spice saffron may not only work as well as SSRI antidepressant drugs like Prozac, Paxil, and Zoloft without the side effects; they may be able to even treat the adverse sexual side effects that occur in up to 70% of people taking them.
Physical fitness authorities seem to have fallen into the same trap as the nutrition authorities—recommending what they think may be achievable, rather than simply informing us what the science says, and letting us make up our own mind.
Eating seaweed salad may boost the efficacy of vaccinations and help treat cold sores, herpes, Epstein-Barr virus, and shingles.
In this “best-of” compilation of his last four year-in-review presentations, Dr. Greger explains what we can do about the #1 cause of death and disability: our diet.
How extreme was Dr. Kempner’s rice diet, compared to traditional surgical approaches, and is there a safer alternative?
Why has fish consumption been associated with cognitive impairment and loss of executive function?
Certain foods are linked not only to increased happiness, but also to greater “eudaemonic” well-being—feelings of engagement, creativity, meaning, and purpose in life.
The burgeoning field of positive psychology is based on the understanding that mental health is not just about the absence of disease.
Cow’s milk proteins can pass through breast milk—which may explain why maternal dairy-free diets are so effective in treating infant colic.
Why do some drug-based strategies shorten the lives of diabetics and some diet-based strategies fail to decrease diabetes deaths?
Fennel seeds can work as effectively as drugs like ibuprofen for painful periods, and an eighth of a teaspoon of ginger powder three times a day can cut menstrual bleeding in half.
When placed head-to-head against the American Diabetes Association diet, how do plant-based diets fare in terms of not only blood sugar, body weight, and cholesterol control, but also mood and quality of life?