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The Harvard article Nutritional psychiatry: Your brain on food explains it like this:
Like an expensive car, your brain functions best when it gets only premium fuel. Eating high-quality foods that contain lots of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants nourishes the brain and protects it from oxidative stress — the “waste” (free radicals) produced when the body uses oxygen, which can damage cells.
Unfortunately, just like an expensive car, your brain can be damaged if you ingest anything other than premium fuel. If substances from “low-premium” fuel (such as what you get from processed or refined foods) get to the brain, it has little ability to get rid of them. Diets high in refined sugars, for example, are harmful to the brain. In addition to worsening your body’s regulation of insulin, they also promote inflammation and oxidative stress. Multiple studies have found a correlation between a diet high in refined sugars and impaired brain function — and even a worsening of symptoms of mood disorders, such as depression.”
Foods that support mental health are going to be abundant in the nutrients your brain needs for optimal operation. Foods that help your brain are:
The food you eat has a significant influence on every aspect of your physical and mental health. Science is showing that prevalence of mental health disorders correlates with nutritional deficiencies and increased popularity of the Western diet. On the other hand, a well-balanced diet abundant in different nutrients proves to be an effective management option for mental health conditions.
Although more research on this topic is necessary, one thing is for sure – nutrition is an important factor to consider in the management of your mental health.
