Food & Your MoodNutritional Psychology

The Interplay between Nutrition, Mood, Brain, and Behavior

Learn to use food to your advantage Create a positive influence on your own

brain chemistry Live an energized lifestyle

Goals for Today’s Talk

Mental Health Statistics

75%

25%

1 in 4 adults, 25% of Americans, have a mental illness

Depression: 6.7% of Americans have major depression and 1 in 10 Americans take antidepressants

Anxiety: 18.1% of Americans have anxiety disorders

Standard American Diet (SAD)

Image courtesy of digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

S.A.D. & Processed Foods 320,000 processed foods in market with 10,000

“new” processed foods per year introduced

Technology made possible to manipulate foods’ sensory properties (e.g., sweeter, saltier, richer)

“There appears to be no set point for the amount of fat or sugar people will eat” (Contento, 2007)

Results ◦ 1 in 10 Americans meet basic food group

recommendations ◦ By age 9, only 12% have good diets (same as adults) ◦ People now eat predominantly for pleasure, not

nutritive value

Dietary Intake/Nutrient Depletion Can Imitate Mental Health Disorders

Mental Health Disorders:

Fatigue Anxiety Depression Irritability Poor mood Stress Intolerance Overeating, cravings Inability to sleep Neurotransmitter Depletion

Nutrient Depletion:

Fatigue Anxiety Depression Irritability Poor mood Stress Intolerance Overeating, cravings Inability to sleep Neurotransmitter Depletion

Western Diets vs. Traditional Diets

Dietary Pattern and Depressive Symptoms During Middle Age (Akbaraly et al, 2009)

• Findings: Processed food dietary pattern risk factor for depression; Whole food diet is protective

Association of Western & Traditional Diets with Depression & Anxiety in Women (Jacka et al. 2010)

• Findings: Traditional dietary patterns associated with lower risk for disorder; Western dietary patterns associated with higher odds for disorder

Western Diets vs. Traditional Diets

Fast-Food and Commercial Baked Goods Consumption and the Risk of Depression (Sanchez-Villegas 2011)

• Findings:• 1) Fast food and processed pastries were associated with a higher risk of

depression; • 2) Increased consumption led to 48% increase in risk of depression; • 3)Trans fats implicated as a relevant risk factor for developing depression

Association Between Dietary Patterns and Depressive Symptoms Over Time: A 10-Year Follow-Up Study of the GAZEL Cohort (Le Port et al. 2012)

• Findings:• Western style - higher likelihood of depressive symptoms; • Traditional style - lower likelihood of depressive symptoms

Nutrition, Inflammation, & Depression

Processed foods are linked to higher rates of depression.

Diets with foods that trigger inflammation (refined, processed foods) result in 29-41% greater risk for depression.

Inflammation itself may mediate depressive symptoms

The foods you eat can effect the chemical composition of your brain because the nutrients in foods are precursors to neurotransmitters.

Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that tell our body what to do and how to feel. ◦ Dopamine◦ Serotonin◦ Endorphins◦ Choline (precursor to acetylcholine)

How Does Food Affect Our Brain?

A mood regulator SSRI’s increase amount of serotonin that is

available Found in digestive tract, blood platelets,

central nervous system. Helps produce a sense of calmness Helps decrease pain and appetite Low levels can increase

aggression/irritability.

Serotonin

Amino Acids ->Neurotransmitters Tyrosene

Tryptophan

Catecholamine Dopamine, Norepinephrine, Epinephrine

Serotonin

Released or produced by carbohydrates◦ Carbs stimulate insulin ◦ -> decreased blood levels of amino acids except

tryptophan (usually competes with other amino acids)

◦ ->tryptophan has more bioavailability◦ -> increased serotonin.

Serotonin

Serotonin and Diet

ATRP

TRP

TRPResult = Serotonin

Note: this is NOT a good method to use to stabilize mood

Serotonin Synthesis

Fe2+, O2, + Vit C & B12

Serotonin is often lower in winter months Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D.) Part of reason may be that Vitamin D

increases Serotonin levels Sunlight helps body synthesize Vitamin D.

In winter we go out less, wear more clothes, and therefore, get less sunlight.

Serotonin & Vitamin D

High levels improve mood, alertness and ability to cope with stress.

Can improve overall mental health functioning.

Low levels associated with higher levels of depression and other mental health disorders.

Helps reduce pain awareness

Dopamine

Precursors to dopamine are found in things that have protein in them:◦ Meat◦ Milk◦ Eggs◦ Fish◦ Beans◦ Tofu

Dopamine

A precursor to the neurotransmitter Acetylcholine.

Acetylcholine is very important in memory.◦ Alzheimer’s Disease: enzyme acetylcholinesterase

breaks down acetylcholine. Aricept = acetylcholinesterase inhibitorAcetylcholine very important in memory and concentration.

Choline

Part of the B vitamin complex Found in:

◦ Eggs◦ Soy◦ Wheat germ◦ Broccoli◦ Cabbage◦ Cauliflower◦ Chicken◦ Beef◦ Veal◦ Liver

Choline

Fluctuations in Blood Sugar can lead to fluctuations in Mood.

Blood Sugar

The Progression of U.S. Sugar Consumption

Americans consume over 130 lbs of sugar per year

Infographic from: http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-5906/MindBlowing-Sugar-Consumption-Infographic.html

Sugar, Mental Health, & Cognition

Sugar = a cascade of biochemical reactions that result in chronic inflammation in the body • Inflammation = leads to system-wide disruption in

biochemical processes, which results in many problems including cognitive problems and mental health disorders

Robert Lustig, MD: fructose/sugar research

• Sugar: The Bitter Truth

Sugar, Mental Health, & Cognition

Sugar associated with Schizophrenia and Depression (Peet ,2004)

• Results showed a higher national dietary intake of refined sugar predicted a worse 2-year outcome of schizophrenia and greater prevalence of depression

Sugar Isn’t Just Empty Calories…

Increased blood pressure Increased obesity Increased cholesterol Increased triglycerides Increased cardiovascular

disease Increased insulin

resistance Cancer tumor growth

Increased depression and anxiety

< Memory/hippocampal structure

Reduced learning ability Metabolic syndrome in the

brain Increased inflammation Dental disease Liver disease

Eat to Stabilize the Blood Sugar-Adrenal Axis:

HighBlood Sugar Range

StableBlood Sugar Range

LowBlood Sugar Range

Can not be manufactured by the body. Brain is more than 60% fat. Found in oily fish, nut oils, avocados, flax

seeds, walnuts May help to reduce depression (protects

against it) Helps to reduce inflammation Helps reduce heart disease

Omega 3 Fatty Acids

The preponderance of epidemiologic and tissue compositional studies supports a protective effect of omega-3 EFA intake, particularly eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in mood disorders

Freeman, et al (2006), J Clinical Psychiatry 67:12.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Endo = Endogenous (made in the body) Orphins = Morphine

◦ Produce a positive mood state ◦ Lower sensitivity to pain◦ Help relieve stress & depression

Endorphins

Exercise◦ Body produces Endorphins with exercise.◦ Is as good as medication for mood and mild pain

for many people.◦ Have to exercise daily because endorphins break

down in the body in about 24 hours. 30 to 45 minutes per day.

◦ Exercise is also good for brain cell regeneration and increasing brain cell connections (cognitive functions). (As is socialization, so exercise with others for even more impact!).

Endorphins

Other Nutritional Factors & Mental Health

Gut Health• Implicated in:

• immune function, neurotransmitter synthesis and function, inflammation, pain syndromes, mental health, and general brain health

• Microbiome (gut bacteria)

Other Nutritional Factors & Mental Health

Gut Health (cont.)• The 100 trillion microbes that make the GI tract their

playground are critical to health. Gut bacteria regulate digestion and metabolism. They extract and make vitamins and other nutrients from food that you eat. They program the body's immune system.

• Gut bacteria also produce hundreds of neurochemicals that the brain uses to regulate basic physiological processes as well as mental processes such as learning, memory and mood. For example, gut bacteria manufacture 80 to 95 percent of the body's supply of serotonin, which influences both mood and GI activity.

Freeman, et al (2006), J Clinical Psychiatry 67:12.

ConclusionNutrition and Psychology Are linked

A healthy diet is associated with better mood and less depressive symptoms.

A diet high in refined/processed foods is associated with increased risk of depressive symptoms and lower mood.

Nutritional deficiencies lead to mental health disorders and cognitive impairment

Sugar consumption has deleterious effects on mental, physical, and cognitive health

Macro- and micronutrients are essential for cellular function, including brain cell function

Without consuming right amount of nutrients – the cell cannot function◦ Results in signs and symptoms of physical disease and mental health

disorders

The production of neurotransmitters does not happen in a vacuum

We want to eat a balanced array of foods with an awareness of the balance of neurotransmitters we are trying to activate in our system.

Diet, Exercise and Stress management are key to good physical and mental health

WHAT DIET IS OPTIMAL FOR BRAIN HEALTH AND MENTAL HEALTH?

Macronutrient Mood TherapyOut with the Bad; In with the Good

Removal of dietary factors associated with mental health symptoms◦Sugar and simple carbohydrates◦Processed foods◦Trans fats◦Caffeine

Replace with increased intake of:◦Protein◦Healthy fat◦Vegetables◦Complex/high nutrient carbs

This Presentation was adapted from presentations by:

Amanda Hull, PhDIntegrative Health and Wellness (IHW) Program Director, War Related Illness

and Injury Study Center (WRIISC)Acting Patient Centered Care (PCC) Director, Washington DC VA Medical

Center

Nancy Hoffman, PsyDKaiser Permanente Medical Center

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