I practically witness my clients mood change completely within just a few weeks of joining my nutrition plan. That is the power of food!
Now of course nutrition alone does not cause a chemical imbalance in your body, but can it be one of the factors? Let’s look at some research…
A slew of new researches on the link between diet and mental wellbeing have emerged in recent years. It's vital to remember that stress, the environment, bad sleep, heredity, mental disorders, and dietary inadequacies may all affect one's mood.
On the other hand, studies suggest that obtaining the appropriate amounts of nutrients over time may boost your mood, reduce stress, reduce anxiety, and maybe even help you combat depression.
The science of how food impacts our moods is essentially based on the following scenario: Dietary changes affect the structure of the brain, chemistry, and physiology, eventually resulting in behavioural changes.
Let’s see some scientific studies…
In a clinical trial, i.e., the SMILES experiment, researchers divided roughly 70 participants into two groups, all of whom were classified with depressive symptoms and had poor dietary habits.
The first group were asked to eat a Mediterranean-style diet, very similar to a vegan whole- food diet, that is nutritious, while the second was a typical American diet that includes sweets, processed foods, and salty foods.
Following the three months, the findings of the study revealed that the healthy eating group had lower levels of depression than the second group.
It was also observed that dietary changes might be an effective and accessible therapeutic method for the management of this predominant mental disease.
Another research that used a vegan diet was undertaken a few years ago by the American Government Employees Insurance Company (GEICO) and the non-profit Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM).
In the study, employees from GEICO participated in a clinical experiment to see how a low-fat plant-based diet regimen affected health.
The two-part findings of this study were encouraging, as subjects saw significant improvements in their health, including significant weight reduction, reduced levels of LDL or bad cholesterol, and reduced blood pressure.
However, one aspect of the study's findings that they weren't anticipating was a decrease in their anxiety, exhaustion, and levels of depression. Their moods managed to improve, and job absenteeism decreased, all of which was assessed and determined following a specialist psychological exam.
In my next newsletter, I will also discuss specific foods to include in your diet that can boost your mood.
Trust this helps,
It’s not surprising that a plant-based diet gives participants less depression. Plant-based= more prebiotics. Studies have shown that proper gut health influences mood (amongst other things)