A healthy lifestyle can help prevent or worsen the onset of mental health conditions, such as anxiety, depression, bipolar spectrum disorders, posttraumatic stress disorder, and psychotic disorders. A healthy lifestyle includes moderate alcohol consumption, a healthy diet, regular physical activity, healthy sleep, and frequent social connections while avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol intake. Research shows that living a healthy lifestyle is positively associated with mental health and well-being, and on a biological level, with a positive association between a healthy lifestyle and biological ageing and different dimensions of mental health.
Unhealthy lifestyle behaviors are grouped into five general categories: malnutrition, unhealthy diet, smoking, alcohol consumption, drug abuse, stress, and more. Healthy eating patterns, such as the Mediterranean diet, are associated with better mental health than “unhealthy” eating patterns, such as the Western diet. Mental health professionals have underestimated the importance of lifestyle factors as contributors to and treatments for multiple mental health conditions.
Unhealthy lifestyles impact not only physical health but also mental health. Most cases of mental illness such as depression, anxiety, and stress occur due to an unhealthy lifestyle. Factors such as an unhealthy diet, sedentary lifestyle, smoking, and high alcohol consumption have been associated with depression. Depressed people with low physical activity and heavy drinking patterns are more likely to become depressed over time.
Inadequate diet can lead to fatigue, impaired decision-making, and slow down reaction time. Individuals struggling with mental illness often report poorer sleep, poorer diet, and lower levels of physical activity. Stress is one of the common causes of low mood and anxiety, as it makes our immune systems less effective. Unhealthy lifestyles have a negative impact on depressive and anxiety symptoms through independent, cumulative, and combined effects.
📹 Why Diet Might Be a Big Deal for Mental Health
Matt Curls, Sam Buck, Christopher R Boucher, Avi Yashchin, Adam Brainard, Greg, Alex Hackman, Sam Lutfi, D.A. Noe, Piya …
What causes unhealthy mental health?
Mental illness is a common condition affecting about 1 in 5 adults annually, with symptoms ranging from childhood to later adult years. It can be triggered by various factors, including a blood relative’s mental illness, stressors like financial problems, traumatic experiences, substance abuse, and a history of abuse or neglect. The effects of mental illness can be temporary or long-lasting, and individuals can also have multiple mental health disorders at the same time, such as depression and substance use disorder. It is important to recognize and address these factors to improve overall well-being and overall well-being.
How does unhealthy habits affect mental health?
Sedentary lifestyles significantly impact mental health, with those who sit most of the time and lack exercise being at a higher risk of experiencing depressive symptoms and dementia. To improve mental health, it is essential to incorporate physical activity into your daily routine, which reduces stress, releases endorphins, improves self-confidence, alleviates anxiety, and boosts brainpower. Exercise can also provide health benefits such as protecting against heart disease, diabetes, improving sleep, and lowering blood pressure.
Exercise can be done through various activities, such as walking, yoga, or dancing. Additionally, excessive time spent on your phone can negatively impact mental health, as technology can make life easier but also negatively affect mental well-being.
How does an unhealthy environment affect mental health?
The presence of air pollution, poor water quality, and environmental toxins has been linked to an increased risk of psychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety. Additionally, the quality of water can also have a detrimental impact on mental health.
How does being unhealthy affect your mental health?
Nutritional deficiencies, such as vitamin B12, B9 (folate), and zinc, can cause symptoms of depression and dementia, including low mood, fatigue, cognitive decline, and irritability. The link between diet and mental illness has evolved from focusing on specific nutrient deficiencies to focusing on overall dietary patterns. A “western dietary pattern” high in processed foods is strongly correlated with an increased risk of developing depression, mild cognitive impairment, and ADHD.
Food insecurity, or inadequate access to sufficient nutritious and culturally appropriate food, is also independently associated with mood and anxiety disorders. On the other hand, a “whole foods”, traditional, and Mediterranean diet have been found to be protective against developing depression among other mental illnesses. A prospective cohort study of over 10, 000 university students found that students who closely adhered to a Mediterranean dietary pattern had a reduced risk of developing depression.
The brain, an organ with high metabolic and nutrient demands, relies on adequate building blocks of amino acids and mineral-dependent co-factors for the production of monoamine neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine, which are crucial in the pathophysiology of mental illness.
What are the effects of an unhealthy lifestyle?
An inactive lifestyle can lead to chronic diseases such as obesity, heart diseases, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, stroke, metabolic syndrome, Type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, osteoporosis, falls, increased depression and anxiety, and premature death. To start exercising, gradually increase your activity levels, aiming for the recommended amount for your age and health. It is essential to avoid feeling overwhelmed and do what you can to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Getting regular exercise is always better than none, and gradually increasing your activity levels can help reduce the risk of chronic diseases and premature death.
How does an unhealthy lifestyle affect mental health?
A number of factors have been identified as potential contributors to both depression and physical illness. These include an unhealthy diet, a sedentary lifestyle, smoking, and high alcohol consumption. Such lifestyles have also been linked to an increased risk of developing physical illnesses. ScienceDirect employs the use of cookies, and all rights are reserved for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies. The open access content is licensed under Creative Commons terms.
How does your mental health affect your daily life?
Mental health encompasses our emotional, psychological, and social well-being, influencing our thoughts, feelings, and actions. It influences stress management, social relationships, and healthy decision-making. Mental health is crucial throughout life, from childhood to adulthood. Mental and physical health are interconnected, with depression increasing the risk of long-term health issues like diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Chronic conditions can also heighten the risk of mental illness.
Mental health can change over time, depending on various factors. For instance, prolonged work, caring for a relative, or economic hardship can impact mental health when demands exceed resources and coping abilities.
How does being unhealthy affect you?
A poor diet and lack of physical activity are associated with an increased risk of developing chronic health conditions, including cardiovascular disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, and certain types of cancer. It is of the utmost importance to implement salutary lifestyle modifications at the earliest possible juncture.
How does eating unhealthy affect your mental health?
An inadequate diet can lead to fatigue, impaired decision-making, and slow reaction time, as well as stress and depression. Society’s reliance on processed foods, high in flours and sugar, is one of the biggest health impairments. These foods are highly addictive and stimulate dopamine centers in the brain, which are associated with pleasure and reward. To stop craving unhealthy foods, it is essential to stop eating them. Removing added sugars and refined carbohydrates from your diet can change the physiology in the brain.
Sugar and processed foods can lead to inflammation, which may contribute to mood disorders, including anxiety and depression. When feeling stressed or depressed, processed foods are often the quick pick-me-up. During busy or difficult periods, coffee replaces breakfast, fresh fruits and vegetables are replaced with high-fat, high-calorie fast food, and ice cream becomes dinner.
What are the main causes of unhealthy lifestyles?
The article discusses the importance of addressing unhealthy habits such as unhealthy diet, insufficient exercise, unhealthy weight, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, birth control, recreational drug use, stress, and tobacco misuse. It suggests that small, healthy changes in daily routines can reduce the risk of heart disease. The article advises healthcare professionals to identify risk factors and set achievable goals. It advises starting with relatively easy changes and building on successes.
What causes poor mental health?
Genetic factors, drug and alcohol abuse, biological factors, early life environment, trauma and stress, and personality factors can all contribute to the development of mental health issues. Genetic factors, such as having a close family member with a mental illness, can increase the likelihood of developing the illness. Drugs like cocaine, marijuana, and amphetamines can trigger manic episodes or psychosis, while biological factors, such as medical conditions or hormonal changes, can cause mental health problems.
Early life experiences, such as abuse or neglect, can also increase the risk of mental illnesses. Traumatic life events or stress in adulthood, such as social isolation, domestic violence, relationship breakdown, financial or work problems, can also impact mental health. Personality factors, such as perfectionism or low self-esteem, can also increase the risk of depression or anxiety. It is crucial to seek help if symptoms of a mental illness are affecting daily life. Beyond Blue has created a mental health continuum, which can help individuals identify and determine the appropriate help.
📹 How the food you eat affects your brain – Mia Nacamulli
When it comes to what you bite, chew and swallow, your choices have a direct and long-lasting effect on the most powerful organ …
I have depression and I’m in my 20s and my psychiatrist told me I should eat well,and excersise. I had my own meal plan and I’d go to the gym about 4 days a week. Hitting all the major muscles I could do and hitting secondary muscles as well. And I noticed I was a lot happier,I was sleeping better and generally just in a better condition. I was also taking multi vitamins. Yeah I was basically peeing the excess vitamins but it was honestly amazing.
Wow, that’s crazy, a couple of years ago I had like, a MASSIVE depression that lasted for, at least, 3 years. And the year before that, even just a couple of month, my doctor noticed, after a blood test, that my folate was incredibly low, for reason that we don’t know, but I had to be careful (somehow). And the year after my depression, blood test again, and my “level” of folate was back to normal.
Omega 3’s need to be balanced with omega 6 so taking more omega 3 by itself won’t make you feel better. Taking more zinc can deplete copper, so keeping things in balance is important. Getting nutrients from the right food is your best bet because it will have a balance naturally. Overall having a healthy lifestyle including waking and getting outside will help with overcoming stress and depression overall. Take care of yourself! 🥰
I had suffered from severe depression and anxiety for over 10 years. I went from eating poorly and doing nothing, to making sure I consume all the nutrients and water I need to nourish my body daily, whist incorporating daily exercise and 3-4 high intensity workouts per week. It was a drastic change, but it was a necessary change in lifestyle. The mental shift was immense. It did not get rid of my anxiety completely, but it has changed my life. My mind is sharper, my body is stronger, I sleep like a champion, and because my brain is functioning at 60% more than before, I am able to work through the anxiety by challenging it. Personally, nutrition has been a huge factor in being able to live my life now.
I have ADD and I was just starting to notice my forgetfulness seemed to get especially intense when I haven’t had fish in a while. I might experiment more with fish oil supplements. Like Hank said, omega 3s don’t “cure” my ADD, but it seems that without them I’m way less functional than my already less-than-ideal usual state.
Ok here is a doozy. Anti-seizure medications (antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) which are used to treat Bipolar 1 and 2, as well as other mental health disorders, can cause folate deficiency anaemia. Yep so based on this article this makes us extra screwed. Next time I get anaemia I will mention this article to my GP
Kind of sounds like mentally healthy people just eat healthier. I’m somewhat skeptical towards nutrition science, there’s so much publishing bias and straight up fraud going on. Sure it sounds promising that supplements helped in a somewhat controlled environment, but even then it sounds more likely that they just improved the patient’s overall health because of some unnoticed deficiencies or whatever, which reduced depressive symptoms. Like, you know, sports do.
One common factor that seems to keep coming up is inflammation. And the simplest view makes a lot of sense. inflammation means swelling, and swelling can impede the transport of liquid. Inflammation in the brain can block its sewer/drain system, especially important during relaxed deep sleep. Crap builds up, causes more inflammation, vicious circle. Brain cells can’t get rid of their waste, wither, die. So keep your pipes clean ! 🙂
My doctors have advised me to take Omega 3, B12, and vitamin D supplements for my mental health (in addition to things like SSRIs and cognitive behavioral therapy). In uni, I decided to go vegetarian without having done much research (and with a shoestring grocery budget – sriracha on buttered noodles isn’t a healthy meal, kids!) The resulting deficiencies exacerbated my existing mental health struggles, so I saw quite extreme benefits from adding the supplements my doctor recommended. Now that I eat a more nutritionally balanced diet, I’m never sure if it’s just the placebo effect, but I think they are still useful to me (especially the vitamin D in winter).
I welcome this but warn caution to those who looking to help their own or others with depression. When I was struggling with my anxiety and depression the very flippant suggestion I switch to brown bread from my occ. health doctor nearly killed me. The idea all of the issues I was having, with social anxiety, intrusive and suicidal thoughts, agoraphobia and panic attacks; could be cured with a simple dietary change was an insult. I admit; maybe if I ate better it would help, even a little bit. But any attempt to eat well was severely hampered by my absent executive function and constant fatigue. Mental health isnt a simple problem and I’m glad sci show always tries to discuss it with nuance.
If it’s not alive it’s not going to give you life! The “mights, maybes, coulds…etc” drive me crazy sometime when talking about “health food” (pssst: which is actually normal food). I challenge anybody to eat proper for one month. Including proper water intake. Then for 1 month, eat nothing but processed foods. During these 8 weeks document your self value, self esteem, weight, sleep quality, alertness, mood, ability to deal with stressful situations, rashes, colds, infections… etc etc etc. I’m certain the outcome is obvious… where does all this… doubt? … come from towards normal, life giving foods?
Wish this had talked about link btwn dairy, gluten, corn and other foods and increased symptoms in those suffering from bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorders, anxiety disorders and other kinds of depression. Wish someone would, maybe the shootungs would stop if everyone knew this information.
I tried a diet low in inflammatory foods, and it was so complicated that my anxiety got noticeably worse! I think it’s because I had to think about my food so much. I had more energy without all the junk sugar and heavy carbs, but the worsened anxiety blew, and whole food diets get really expensive really fast.
There are simply too many research studies (check PubMed) demonstrating how successful magnesium, zinc and chromium picolinate are in treating depression. The authors of this single study that Hank/his producers have decided to publicize need to explain why they decided their results are better than all these other researchers, as well as how they’ve decided to castigate all those of us that Mg, Zn and Cr-picolinate have definitely helped. By the way, a larger sample size in a single study does NOT guarantee better data or more valid conclusions.
Until they can prove something beyond vague correlation, i don’t buy it. Like, sadder/more anxious people oftenly eat confort food to feel better. Beside when you’re severely depressed you don’t feel like cooking, so you turn toward what is oftenly the less healthy alternative. So far we can’t really tell what comes first
There’s an increased need for antioxidants where there is increased oxidative stress and can’t be advocated without looking at why there’s so much oxidative stress. Predictably the research seems aimed at finding a (pharmaceutical) solution rather than getting rid of processed crap, industrial seed oils and sugar
Im not sure if the meta studies are the way to go when its about stuff like that. If someone have a depressive moods coz they lack b vitamins and you give them anti inflamatory fish oil, its like giving someone a medicine for a different sickenss they dont have and making the conslusion that this medicine is not working. It must be taylor made. Check what is missing, give it, observe if the mood improves.
Jesus Christ, this is too relevant right now. I’ve been trying to improve my mental health for years, with noticeable but limited progress. Recently (because I believe that the meat industry is detrimental to our environment and economy), I decided to start buying vegan food. In trying to ensure that I was getting enough nutrients, I did research on nutritional needs while trying to calculate my diet history. I was shocked when it became clear that I had been living on less than 2/3 of my caloric needs. 1800 was pretty much the upper limit for my intake, with the average prolly being closer to 1600. Then I realized that the 2000 calorie recommendation was for skinny women, and an adult male needs 2400-2800. Then I started reading about the affects of nutrient deficiency. Without being able to afford blood work to confirm, but comparing the symptoms with the causes, I’m pretty sure that I actually have scurvy. (For any concerned, I have been actively working to correct this by both incorporating Vit C in my diet AND for the time being taking Emergen-C). I realized this all within the last two days, so I don’t know how my behavior changes will impact my health. But, I’m kinda optimistic. I think I’ve found a root cause of my mental and physical health issues, something that I know I can change. So, I guess, wish me luck?
So a year ago I had awful mental health due to untreated and undiagnosed IBS. Then I got diagnosed, started a low FODMAP diet, and suddenly I was so much more stable. Permanent GI distress had become my new normal, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t going to have something resembling a normal human reaction to constant GI distress.
So true.. when eat processed, un-nutritional food and high sugar and carbs, you’re bound to feel lethargic and negative thoughts. Also – I the gut is the second brain, so if you don’t feed it and look after it, it’ll rot away and that’ll affect every other organs and the mind…(not saying it’s the main cure but this helps by a huge amount)
Here’s the thing I want to know: what’s the correlation vs causation for healthy diet and mental health as it relates to socioeconomic class? It’s all very well to say “diet high in fruit, veg, fish and whole grains are beneficial” but if you’re working 80h a week at minimum wage jobs, you’re not going to have the money for those foods nor the time to prepare them. Are there any studies that cover this?
As an autistic woman, I can say that sticking to a healthy diet definitely helps me. Especially if I can cut out added sugars and excessive carbs, that really helps keep my mind clear. Unfortunately, I’m a bonafide sugar addict, so doing that is easier said than done. But I try my best to eat healthy, and that’s what matters.
im pretty shure of a link between your types of gut bacteria and mental health. so if you only eat fast carbohydrates like pure sugar, most of bacteria in the beginning of your gut will be carbohydrate-eating and all bacteria in the deeper gut will be eating something else (neather carbohydrates nor fats or preoteins since almost nothing except a few carbohydrates could get there)
There are many good reasons for eating well, so this is just another one on the list, and one that has no real downside. The problem is many of the mental illnesses that seem like they would benefit from eating a healthier diet are ones that make it more difficult to accomplish a healthier diet. Shopping, choosing good foods, cooking, and eating them are all gigantic hurdles when getting out of bed to use the washroom is already taking up someone’s entire energy budget for the day.
I am happy to see this investigated by SciShow and brought to attention. The first thing my psychiatric medicine doctor did was change my diet radically & put me on the right, but few supplements. I had been taking supplements before, as a precaution, but taking too much of anything just puts more stress on the body & you don’t get the benefits you were aiming for. It helped immensely. I lost weight, gained energy & clarity of mind & even reduced my abusive behavior of my addiction.
Several years ago, I had a doctor test me for mutations in my MTHFR gene and in several other genes as well. Apparently both of my copies of that gene are messed up. She said that studies were showing a possible relationship between this gene and major depression. And you fix the problem it creates by taking certain B vitamins and a specific form of folate. I didn’t find it helpful, but my dad does.
A friend of mine researches the effects of potassium and magnesium in treatment of oversensitivity, which has been very useful for, among other groups, the autistic community, who frequently have oversensitivity. I am always worried about these kind of studies, though. I remember this scientist who dedicated maybe a couple of pages of conjecture on how gut bacteria are relevant to autism, then used big platforms like Big Think to market his book based solely on this conjecture. Basically; Nutrition studies and psychology studies are frought with bad study designs or just downright elitist in their rhetoric. Recently, I read a neurological paper which concluded that, because they hadn’t recruited among “syndromic” autistics, their results should be interpreted as “underrepresented”. In other words, they argued without self-reflection that because the participants they tested on had the least outwardly visible behavioural phenotype and were 0.5% relevant, their finding should be assumed more relevant for people with completely different behavioural phenotypes should be assumed to benefit more rather than less. This happens a lot in behavioural research and it’s really upsetting.
Excellent episode. I wish that something like following had been said: In the same way that we divulge past experiences and thoughts to a therapist or psychologist, we ought to divulge the secrets of our blood nutrients to a biochemist when seeking help for mental illness. It won’t necessarily solve the problem, but it may give another window into the nature of the illness, opening up the range of potential interventions. Overall, I’m super pleased that this episode was created and released. Many people stand to alleviate a non-trivial amount of suffering through understanding and applying this.
I have suffered with depression on and off all of my life. I was on the strongest dose of Fluoxetine after my young nephew was killed. I then went cold turkey and started vaping marijuana each evening instead. I haven’t had any ill effects since, quite the contrary; I sleep better, my pain levels have decreased (I have degenerative Osteoarthritis in my spine and knees, I have to take morphine twice a day just to be able to cope) and my depression is much better controlled.
Great article. I truly believe in this stuff. I believe that we eat too many foods with either too little micronutrients or we eat too many with anti-nutrients negating the effect of nutrient rich foods. Grains need to be sprouted or fermented and you need to feed your gut microbiome with prebiotic foods. Without these some people will become deficient.
Thanks for sharing on this crucial topic! To add to this, Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause depression. Also, a person may eat lots of animal products (which contain B12), and still may not be adequately absorbing B12. Reasons for this malabsorption can include: history of having part of the intestine removed, having Crohn’s disease and associated intestinal inflammation, bacterial or yeast overgrowth, low stomach acid, taking meds that suppress stomach acid, and genetic predisposition!
Now that I’ve been eating Whole30 I don’t even want to go back to the way I was eating before. I eat all home cooked, healthy, delicious food. I have cut out all processed food and added sugar, grains, legumes, and dairy. I have so many good Whole30 recipes and snacks on-hand, I don’t think I’m going back. I may have something here and there (in the future), but my goal is to continue cooking the lovely meals that I have been eating. I feel my best.
I thought it was beneficial to learn about the impact of our diet on the brain. I think I have to take more Omega-3 and Omega-6. Also I will not take unnecessary nutrients like trans fats. I need to check the ingredients of the food whenever I have some meals. I will eat healthy food and take care of my health. 10308 김주하