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July 2015 | Read this issue and more at www.healthandwellnessmagazine.net |
Mental
Health
Often
Depends
on Good
Nutrition
Eat well for
optimum
brain power
By Dr. Tom
Miller, Staff
Writer
Mental health and
well-being is affected
by the biochemistry in the brain.
That marvelous organ on which we
depend for so many important functions in daily life must have important
ingredients in the chemistry of life.
The
brain is composed
of about 60 percent
fat, so it requires a diet
rich in fatty acids to maintain
the integrity of its cellular walls.
Individuals who are diagnosed with
thought disorders, including psychosis, tend to show higher levels of
oxidative stress and cell-membrane
breakdown in the frontal cortex of
the brain. In addition, individuals
with such diagnoses tend to have
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lower levels
of fatty acids
in the frontal
cortex region of
the brain. A diet
with 60 percent to 70 percent healthy fats, 20 percent to 25
percent protein and 15 percent to 20
percent carbs balances blood sugar
levels, providing the necessary nutrients for healthy brain functioning.
Omega-3 supplements may reduce
the severity of some forms of mental
illness, and some physicians, dieticians and clinicians recommend fish
oil or other sources of omega-3 for
symptom reduction.
All human beings require a certain level of zinc in their diets. The
body is designed to try to get rid of
metals, but some individuals with
schizophrenia have toxic levels of
heavy metals. This condition makes
the body’s metal-removing protein,
metallothionein, work harder, which
depletes zinc, a good metal that
helps transform proteins into neurotransmitters in the brain.
In a similar way, niacin, or vitamin B3, in the diet plays a key role
in mental health. Some individuals
with mental illness may not only be
niacin deficient, they may also be
niacin dependent. This means they
may need a niacin supplement to
function normally. Glutathione is an
antioxidant that is produced within
the body instead of being absorbed
from the foods we eat. Glutathione
helps protect the body from metabolic wear and tear and is especially
protective in the brain, a metabolic
hot spot where 20 percent of the
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body’s calories are burned.
Integrative mental health practitioners recognize the importance of healthy nutrition in
the lives of individuals in
their practice. Mental
health begins with
learning more
about the nutritional needs
of the brain
by working
closely with
one’s personal physician, a
registered
dietitian,
a clinical
health
psychologist and
other members of an
integrative health
care team. Vitamins B
and C may help buffer
stressful life experiences; with vitamin B3,
these can improve the
regulation of key neurotransmitters in the brain. Also important
is controlling blood sugar levels by
limiting simple sugars often available
in junk foods and instead consuming
complex carbohydrates available in
fruits, vegetables and whole grain
foods.
About the Author
Thomas W. Miller, Ph.D., ABPP,
is a Professor Emeritus and Senior
Research Scientist, Center for Health,
Intervention and Prevention with the
University of Connecticut and a retired
tenured Professor in the Department
of Psychiatry, College of Medicine,
University of Kentucky.
Mental health
begins with
learning more
about the
nutritional needs
of the brain.