Eat right foods to feel better!

This article is written by Dr. Vibhusha Jambhekar (Nutrition consultant)

For years, we have been associating what we eat with how we feel. We associate sweet foods to celebrate those special moments, we crave for an extra cup of coffee after a busy, tiring day, a spoonful of sugar with milk at night helps us sleep better, spicy, fried finger foods make the gossip even more interesting at a sleepover etc. Our food and the nutrients in food have been long associated with how we feel and how efficiently our brain functions. Still, we are oblivious of the fact that, our food and what we eat are interdependent. Our food choices (good or bad) can have an impact on how we feel and how efficiently our brain functions and vice versa.

Research has shown that,

1.      Stress lowers our body’s ability to fight disease and infection.

2.      Depression can create aches, pains and digestive disease.

3.      Self-hatred can trigger eating disorders.

By taking a psychological perspective when it comes to what we choose to eat – how fast or slow we eat, why we eat, when we eat and how much we eat – we can shift ourselves away from unwanted eating habits, feelings of stress, or constriction in life, and create instead a positive and healthy relationship with food, life, and ourselves. A new branch of nutrition called Nutritional Psychology has now emerged which suggests that, Mind-Body Nutrition, has the power to heal and nourish us so we can flourish in our lives.

Research conducted by the National Alliance on Mental Illnesses suggests that, 1 in 5 adults experiences a mental health condition every year. 1 in 17 lives with a serious mental illness such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. The top 5 mental illnesses people face are anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, obsessive compulsive disorder and ADHD.

A mental health condition isn’t the result of one event. Research suggests multiple, linking causes. Genetics, environment, lifestyle, food habits, a stressful job or home life influence whether someone develops a mental health condition. However, latest research in the field of nutrition suggests that, there are several ways in which our food helps us keep mental illnesses at bay.

It is now known that many mental health conditions are caused by inflammation in the brain which ultimately causes our brain cells to die. This is associated with a lack of nutrients from our food such as magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids, probiotics, vitamins and minerals that are all essential for the optimum functioning of our brain.

1.      Calcium, Magnesium

Calcium and magnesium are called nature’s tranquillizers. Magnesium and calcium are required for proper transmission of signals all over the body. They also govern what substances to pass across the blood brain barrier, they also govern the synthesis of anti-stress hormones.

2.      Tryptophan

Tryptophan and few other essential amino acids regulate the synthesis of neurotransmitters dopamine, epinephrine, serotonin etc. One of the more important roles for amino acids is the manufacture of neurotransmitters, which affect your moods and the overall function of your nervous system.

3.      B vitamins

B vitamins are required for concentration, energy generation. B vitamins are referred as anti-stress vitamins because they increase your tolerance to stress.

4.      Omega 3

Omega 3 prevents inflammation in the brain thereby protecting brain cells. It is a component of the blood brain barrier which prevents entry of toxic chemicals in the brain.

5.      Junk food

A diet high in saturated fats and refined sugars has a negative impact on brain proteins that are important in depression: proteins called neurotrophins, which protect the brain against oxidative stress and promote the growth of new brain cells. In fact, a study has shown a clear relationship between the quality of older adult’s diets and the size of their hippocampus – a section of the brain that is central to learning, memory and mental health and that relies on neurotrophins to grow new cells. There also seems to be an impact of saturated fat on the stress response system, which is also important in both depression and anxiety.

Blood brain barrier:

The brain has a protective mechanism -- the blood-brain barrier -- that prevents or limits dangerous substances from reaching the brain cells and affects how nutrients enter the brain. Only selected substances like sugars, amino acids, fatty acids, water can enter the brain. Chronic inflammation because of infections, lack of essential fatty acids in diet, stress, lack of exercise, over consumption of sugary foods, foods high in saturated fat can make the barrier leaky allowing transport of toxic chemicals. Consuming whole foods, foods rich in b vitamins, calcium, magnesium, omega 3 fatty acids helps keep the barrier strong!

In the following article, I will be writing about which foods help our brain function and help us feel better!