Essay Sample on Diet and Mental Disorder

Introduction

Research on nutrition and mental illnesses has illustrated that nutritious health is good for the body as much as it is for the psychology of an individual (Dash, O'Neil & Jacka, 2016). The concept of nutritional psychiatry is trending in recent years, with a significant focus on how the food that a person eats affects their mental health. Diet is one of the most powerful interventions in the contemporary world, and can decrease the risk of psychiatric disorders, or can improve mental health (Dash et al., 2016).

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Nutritious Diet Ensures a Healthy Brain

At least 50percent of mental disorders develop when a person is by the age of 15, with mental illness at childhood affecting over 16 million kids in America according to recent studies (Dash, Clarke, Berk & Jacka, 2015). According to studies conducted, depression increases by 70 percent when a comparison of youths with the lowest quality diet and those who eat the higher quality or whole food diets is made; there is a doubling of attention deficit disorder risks (Dash et al., 2015). Certain supplements like fatty acids in omega-3 have been identified to balance the mood in a person.

A common link has been established between quality of diet and common psychological disorders of anxiety and depression in adults and kids. Specific food allergies take an active part in bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Proper nutrition impacts the brain in various ways, including filling the gut with healthy bacteria, inputting the mind into a growing mode, and brain development. In terms of diet and brain Development, when an individual consumes real food, that is nourishing t the body, the food becomes the protein building blocks, brain tissues, enzymes, and neurotransmitters which transfer data and signals in distinct parts of the body and the brain (Dash et al., 2015).

When it comes to inputting the mind into a growing mode, specific nutrients and diet patterns are connected to variations in a brain protein, that aids in increasing associations between cells in the brain. A proper diet fills the gut with healthy bacteria that is good for the brain. Many healthy bacteria in a human body reside in the gut. Healthy bacteria ensure that the immune system is kept in check by keeping away harmful germs, and by taming the inflammation of the body. Some of the gut germs aid in making the brainpower the B vitamins. Probiotics, which consist of food with beneficial bacteria, help in maintaining a healthy gut environment, also known as the biome (Dash et al., 2015). A healthy microbiome is essential for decreasing inflammation that affects a person's mood and cognition.

While certain nutrients play a significant role in causing mental disorders, some may worsen the symptoms. A nutritious brain diet is substantially equal to the one of a healthy heart regimen or weight control plan. Research indicates that a Mediterranean diet that includes veggies, fresh fruits, whole grains, and plant foods, is suitable for those who want to limit their sugar intake and intake of high fat processed food (Rios-Hernandez, Alda, Farran-Codina, Ferreira-Garcia, & Izquierdo-Pulido, 2017). The Mediterranean diet is the ideal diet for mental and physical health, and by eating these, instances of depression may reduce. A vital step in the prevention of anxiety and depression is to choose foods that contain may nutrients and fewer calories since nutrients help in preventing and treating mental illnesses, some of which include iron, omega 3, B vitamins, and zinc (Rios-Hernandez et al., 2017).

Zinc helps in controlling how the body responds to stress. Low zinc levels in the body can result in depression. Omega 3 contains healthy fatty acids which improve the memory and thinking of a person, and sometimes, the mood. Iron, on the other hand, when it is too little in the blood, it can cause depression. Iron deficiency in the blood is also called iron-deficiency anemia (Kraeuter, Loxton, Lima, Rudd & Sarnyai, 2015). When it comes to B-vitamins, individuals with a low B12 level are at risk of brain inflammation and higher dementia and depression rates.

Low moods have been connected to falling short of folate. Fermented nutrition like kimchi, yogurt, kefir, and sauerkraut have been identified to provide good gut bacteria that help in the reduction of anxiety, depression, and stress. Fatty fish, including mackerel and salmon, contain zinc, selenium, vitamin B12, and omega-three fatty acids. Most medications include a healthy eating plan as part of their treatment plans (Kraeuter et al., 2015). Most individuals under medication are informed to eat a healthy brain diet of nutrient-dense food for drugs to work better. Based on these, it is evident that an individual has power over their mental health, through their nutrients and food choices.

Conclusion

Mental disorders are believed to be a combination of a variety of factors, but one of the most obvious is the role of nutrition. Proper nutrition is suitable for a person's mental health since dietary factors may significantly impact some conditions. The link between diet and mental health is becoming widely known. It keeps growing at a rapid pace, with the most common inverse association is that between the quality of food and common mental disorders of anxiety and depression. Over time, the intake of an individual, basically an adult, influences their risks to depressive illnesses. Food takes an active part in the contribution of the management, development, and prevention of specific mental diseases such as depression, hyperactivity disorder, schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease, and attention deficit. While nutrition is considered to be essential for physical health, its impacts on mental health should be regarded as equally crucial.

References

Dash, S. R., O'Neil, A., & Jacka, F. N. (2016). Diet and common mental disorders: the imperative to translate evidence into action. Frontiers in public health, 4, 81.

Dash, S., Clarke, G., Berk, M., & Jacka, F. N. (2015). The gut microbiome and diet in psychiatry: focus on depression. Current opinion in psychiatry, 28(1), 1-6.

Kraeuter, A. K., Loxton, H., Lima, B. C., Rudd, D., & Sarnyai, Z. (2015). Ketogenic diet reverses behavioral abnormalities in an acute NMDA receptor hypofunction model of schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Research, 169(1-3), 491.

Rios-Hernandez, A., Alda, J. A., Farran-Codina, A., Ferreira-Garcia, E., & Izquierdo-Pulido, M. (2017). The Mediterranean diet and ADHD in children and adolescents. Pediatrics, 139(2), e20162027.