Feeding Minds The impact of food on mental health

Dalia Khamis El-DeebLecturer of Public Health

Community Medicine Department Alexandria Faculty of Medicine

ESPEN European Diploma of Clinical Nutrition

GUT is the SECOND BRAIN

• Nutritional neuroscience is an emerging discipline shedding light on the fact that nutritional factors are intertwined with human cognition, behavior, and emotions

Nutritional neuroscience

Nutrition and depression

• Depression is more typically thought of as strictly biochemical-based or emotionally-rooted. • On the contrary, nutrition can play a key role in the onset as

well as severity and duration of depression.

Nutrition and depression

• Many of the easily noticeable food patterns that precede depression are the same as those that occur during depression. • These may include poor appetite, skipping meals, and a dominant

desire for sweet foods

Macronutrients and depression

CARBOHYDRATES

•Eating a meal which is rich in carbohydrates triggers the release of insulin in the body.

CARBOHYDRATES

• Insulin helps let blood sugar into cells where it can be used for energy and simultaneously it triggers the entry of tryptophan to brain. • Tryptophan in the brain affects the

neurotransmitters levels.

CARBOHYDRATES

• Consumption of diets low in carbohydrate tends to precipitate depression, since the production of brain chemicals SEROTININ and TRYPTOPHAN that promote the feeling of well being, is triggered by carbohydrate rich foods.

CARBOHYDRATES

CARBOHYDRATES

• It is suggested that low glycemic index (GI) foods are more likely to provide a moderate but lasting effect on brain chemistry, mood, and energy level than the high GI foods - primarily sweets - that tend to provide immediate but temporary relief.

CARBOHYDRATES

MINIMUM LEVEL OF 120 GRAMS OF CARBS THAT ARE REQUIRED FOR ADEQUATE BRAIN FUNCTION AND

DAILY ENERGY

Study: Chocolate and depression go hand in hand

Study: Chocolate and depression go hand in hand

• Conclusion: Higher CES-D (Center for Epidemiologic study depression scale ) scores were associated with greater chocolate consumption. • Whether there is a causal connection, and if so in which direction, is

a matter for future prospective study.

Dark Chocolate

Effects of Dark Chocolate Consumption on Anxiety, DepressiveSymptoms and Health-related Quality of Life Status among

Cancer Patients • It was concluded that AD and HRQoL improved significantly

in the group of patients who consumed dark chocolate for 3 consecutive days compared to those who did not. • These findings suggested that there were mood-elevating

effects of dark chocolate consumption.

PROTEINS

• Proteins are made up of amino acids and are important building blocks of life. • As many as 12 amino acids are manufactured in the body itself and

remaining 8 (essential amino acids) have to be supplied through diet.

PROTEINS

• A high quality protein diet contains ALL essential amino acids. • Plant proteins such as beans, peas, and

grains may be low in one or two essential amino acids. • Protein intake and in turn the individual

amino acids can affect the brain functioning and mental health

• Many of the neurotransmitters in the brain are made from amino acids. The neurotransmitter dopamine is made from the amino acid tyrosine and the neurotransmitter serotonin is made from the tryptophan.• If there is a lack of any of these two amino acids, there will not be

enough synthesis of the respective neurotransmitters, which is associated with low mood and aggression in the patients.

PROTEINS

ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDSOmega-3 fatty acids

• The brain is one of the organs with the highest level of lipids (fats). Brain lipids, composed of fatty acids, are structural constituents of membranes. • It has been estimated that gray matter contains 50% fatty acids that

are polyunsaturated in nature (about 33% belong to the omega-3 family), and hence are supplied through diet.

ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDSOmega-3 fatty acids

ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDSOmega-3 fatty acids

•Dietary omega-3 fatty acids play a role in the prevention of some disorders including depression.

ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDSOmega-3 fatty acids

ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDSOmega-3 fatty acids

• An important trend has been observed from the findings of some recent studies that lowering plasma cholesterol by diet and medications increases depression.

Water

Micronutrients

Exercise and stress

• Exercise is also considered vital for maintaining mental fitness, and it can reduce stress. • Studies show that it is very effective at reducing fatigue,

improving alertness and concentration, and at enhancing overall cognitive function.

Effects of Exercise and Physical Activity on Anxiety

Conclusion•There is strong evidence from animal studies that exercise and regular activity positively impacts the pathophysiological processes of anxiety. •Numerous studies and meta-analyses show that exercise is also associated with reduced anxiety in clinical settings.

Food Addiction is a Serious Problem

Food Addiction

• They, directly or indirectly, affect all phases of the life cycle of the individual and the family, preventing human functioning in the areas of •Personal • Family•Professional• Social

االبيضين احذروا

• Experiments in animals and humans show that, for some people, the same reward and pleasure centers of the brain that are triggered by addictive drugs like cocaine and heroin are also activated by food, especially highly palatable foods.

Food Addiction

Food Addiction

Food Addiction

•Compulsive overeating is a type of behavioral addiction meaning that someone can become preoccupied with a behavior (such as eating, or gambling, or shopping) that triggers intense pleasure.

Food Addiction

• People with food addictions lose control over their eating behavior and find themselves spending excessive amounts of time involved with food and overeating, or anticipating the emotional effects of compulsive overeating.

Food Addiction

• People who show signs of food addiction may also develop a kind of tolerance to food. • They eat more and more, only to find that food satisfies

them less and less.

Food Addiction

Food Addiction

Food Addiction

Food Addiction

Help for Food Addiction

العربى !!!! االدب فى الغذاءهماما مقداما األكل في فكن اللثاما لك الزمان كشف إذ'ا

حماما أو طريا لحما فكل بى المر بالرومي تحظ لم فإنالسقاما فيورثك كشكا وال عدسا األيام مدى تأكل وال

حراما صار أكلها فإن تاكلها ال الفالفل م وسيبكهاما القلب رآها لو نواشف سيدي يا الحلوى آكل ونفسي

الظالما تجلو شكلها برونق الكالوي بيت ريح من وحتةاما الحس فاق حدها فمرهف سناني' من خوفا األرض مألت

تماما الدنيا تأخذ وبطني فكي يدور بالبخار وإني