Earlier this year, I considered applying for a journalistic fellowship in mental health. After conducting more research on the organization’s website, I became alarmed by the statistics on mental health.

In 2004, the World Health Organization predicted that, by 2020, the leading cause for disability worldwide wouldn’t be due to physical diseases, but behavioral health conditions (mental and substance use disorders).[1]

The conversation surrounding mental health, especially over the last few years, is regarded in generalized terms. We hear words such as “wellness” and “self-care”, but what do they actually mean and/or contribute to the broader conversation on mental health? The two words “mental” and “health,” even when combined, still remain quite elusive…

Since the beginning of time, homo sapiens have learned how to nourish themselves, from building fires to elevate wild game eating experiences to eventually learning the seasons, and how to best grow and harvest the mighty grain. And, it was only 2,000 years ago that Hippocrates attested, “let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food.”[2]

Personally, I do not subscribe to the belief that food can replace medicine. Notwithstanding there are people who do hold such beliefs, but as a historian I simply, and sincerely, do not.

Nonetheless, there is increasing evidence that we should re-examine Hippocrates’ counsel, as the effect of good food does have profound implications on brain health.[3]

Being able to prepare my own food is paramount to my mental well-being. Late last year, I suffered from an adult bout of bulimia nervosa. This sudden onset of obsessiveness and anxiety around my eating pattern subsided once I began to intentionally prepare and consume foods that were more heating-centric.

In a 2015 article published by the National Institute of Health, evidence is growing [that] food choice is strongly implicated in mental health risk. Thus, shifting the diet is not only a means to promote mental health [but] also a way to promote recovery from mental illness once it has already taken hold.[4][5]

Most people are already familiar with the term “food desert” which, too, plays a role in overall wellness, but inadequate access to sufficient nutritious and culturally appropriate food [food insecurity] is also independently associated with mood and anxiety disorders.[6] This is what I’m interested in exploring: the culturally appropriate/affirming.

Being born and raised in the American South, people have wildly held beliefs about what constitutes the Southerners’ dietary pattern. An often contentious subject, as people are inclined to lay cultural claims to soul food and/or Southern cuisine, it isn’t atypical.

When I think of Southern cuisine, I think mostly of a Sunday feast filled with copious fried and cooked meats; an array of green leafy vegetables; and something sweet alongside the salty meats like candied yams or sweet potatoes. I believe there is much to be explored around the connection between food and memory as it can change the dynamic of one’s eating experience.

Since the 1960s, the Mediterranean diet has been lauded as one of the world’s best diets, as it is known to mitigate the risks of many long-term physical diseases; the diet has also been associated with decreased incidence and prevalence of depression.[7]

Geographically, the Mediterranean not only comprises the Iberian peninsula and southern European countries, but also includes North Africa and the Middle East.

In a 2009 cohort study of over 10,000 university students at the University of Navarra, after 4.4 years of follow up, researchers found that students who most closely adhered to a Mediterranean dietary pattern (MDP) had a 42% reduced risk of developing depression [8]; fish is prevalent in the MDP, as well as in dietary patterns across parts of Asia, such as Japan.

Known as fatty fish—mackerel, herring, sardines, albacore tuna, salmon and anchovies— the fats they contain are omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to be effective as either stand-alone or adjunctive treatment to ADHD, major depressive disorder, bipolar depression and PTSD.[9][10]

When thinking about food and mental health, I approach the conversation from an emotional purview: “What foods and/or meals feel good?” “How do I feel while and after eating?” and “What positive memories are associated with this meal?”

Although dairy is not ideal for the skin, I am partial to the benefits of certain dairy products such as yogurt and kefir, a fermented yogurt drink championed as the champagne of dairy.

Fermented foods have been part of the human diet since the Paleolithic period [and] are commonly referred to as probiotic since they contain microorganisms that positively influence [gut] health.[11]

The impact of the microbiome (gut) is only another aspect on the frontier of the link between diet and mental health, and is an emerging area of research.[12].

I hope this read on food and mental health was enlightening and you gleaned something new, though it is neither my mission to inspire nor influence. If anything, I hope you are able to meditate on your food practices by becoming more cognizant of the choices you make.

Something as simple as setting the table (intention), or taking the time to prepare a meal associated with a positive memory are all tools you can use to enhance your mood and wellbeing, resulting in a more pleasant eating experience.

anyways, I hope this helps you in your wellness journey.

love & madness,

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References:

[1] World Health Organization (2004) Promoting Mental Health: Concepts, emerging evidence, practice. Summary report. Geneva, Switzerland.

[2] Graham T, Ramsey D. The Happiness Diet: A Nutritional Prescription for a Sharp Brain, Balanced Mood, and Lean, Energized Body: Rodale. 2011. 

[3] Lachance L, Ramsey D. Food, mood, and brain health: implications for the modern clinician. Mo Med. 2015 Mar-Apr;112(2):111-5.

[4] Sarris J, Logan A, Akbaraly T, et al. Consensus Statement ed. 2014. Nutritional Medicine as Mainstream in Psychiatry: A Consensus Position Statement from the International Society for Nutritional Psychiatry Research (ISNPR).

[5] Rucklidge J, Johnstone J, Kaplan B. Single bullet madness–why do we continue to perpetuate this fallacy. Br J Psychiatry. 2013;203:154–5.

[6] Tarasuk V, Mitchell A, McLaren L, McIntyre L. Chronic Physical and Mental Health Conditions among Adults May Increase Vulnerability to Household Food Insecurity. The Journal of nutrition. 2013;143(11): 1785–93.

[7] Rienks J, Dobson A, Mishra G. Mediterranean dietary pattern and prevalence and incidence of depressive symptoms in mid-aged women: results from a large community-based prospective study. European journal of clinical nutrition. 2013;67(1):75–82.

[8] Sánchez-Villegas A, Delgado-Rodríguez M, Alonso A, et al. Association of the Mediterranean dietary pattern with the incidence of depression: the Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra/University of Navarra follow-up (SUN) cohort. Archives of General Psychiatry. 2009;66(10):1090–8.

[9] Bloch MH, Qawasmi A. Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation for the treatment of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptomatology: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.

[10] Mischoulon D, Freeman M. Omega-3 fatty acids in psychiatry. Psychiatric Clinics of North America. 2013;36(1):15–23.

[11]  Selhub EM, Logan Alan C, Bested Alison C. Fermented foods, microbiota, and mental health: ancient practice meets nutritional psychiatry. Journal of Physiological Anthropology. 2014;33(1):2.

[12] Cryan J, Dinan T. Mind-Altering microorganisms: the impact of the gut microbiota on brain and behaviour. Nature Reviews Neuroscience. 2012.

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Additional References:

1. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), “Food and Mood” https://www.samhsa.gov/blog/food-mood.
2. Mayo Clinic, “Mediterranean diet for heart health” https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/mediterranean-diet/art-2004780.