HEALTH MATTERS
Nutrition And Mental
Health
By Kepha Nyanumba
M
ental health disorders are
a concern for people of all
ages. They can affect anybody,
anytime and anywhere. In fact, research
reveal that during a lifetime, more than
25% of individuals develop at least one
mental or behavioral disorder.
The World Health Organization projects
that by 2020 depression will be the second
leading cause of medical disability on
earth. Given these shocking predictions,
mental health conditions, once written
off as “personal failures” or “weaknesses,”
are now garnering greater attention as
significant public health concerns.
According to the WHO, mental health
is a state of well-being in which the
individual realizes his or her own abilities,
can cope with the normal stresses of life,
can work productively and fruitfully, and
is able to make a contribution to his or
her community.
The WHO stresses that mental health “is
not just the absence of a mental disorder”.
Several factors have been linked to mental
health. These determinants of mental
health and mental disorders include
not only individual attributes such as
the ability to manage one's thoughts,
emotions, behaviours and interactions
with others, but also social, cultural,
economic and environmental factors.
Stress, genetics, nutrition, perinatal
infections and exposure to environmental
hazards are also contributing factors to
mental disorders.
Nutrition Influences Brain
Function
The choice of our food makes all the
difference and directly affects the
function of your brain and mood. Eating
high-quality foods that contain vitamins,
minerals, and antioxidants nourishes the
brain in a positive way. Similarly, a diet
high in refined sugars can impair brain
functions and worsen the mental health
The choice of our food makes all the
difference and directly affects the func-
tion of your brain and mood. Eating
high-quality foods that contain vita-
mins, minerals, and antioxidants nour-
ishes the brain in a positive way. Sim-
ilarly, a diet high in refined sugars can
impair brain functions and worsen the
mental health symptoms.
86 MAL35/20 ISSUE
symptoms. It is important to avoid the
high sugar, processed foods and focus on
foods containing the nutrients that benefit
brain health.
A brain-friendly diet includes fruits and
vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy,
lean protein, and limited amounts of
sodium, saturated fat, and sugar. Working
these foods into your diet will help protect
your brain, fight fatigue, and boost your
mood and alertness.
What are
Neurotransmitters?
How we think, feel and behave on a daily
basis is influenced by the balance of various
neurotransmitters in our brain. When this
process is working optimally our brain
chemistry is said to be balanced and we
respond appropriately and positively to
the outside world.
A neurotransmitter is defined as a
chemical messenger that carries, boosts,
and balances signals between neurons or
nerve cells, and other cells in the body.
These chemical messengers can affect
a wide variety of both physical and
psychological functions including heart
rate, sleep, appetite, mood, and fear.
Billions of neurotransmitter molecules
work constantly to keep our brains
functioning,
managing
everything
from our feelings to our learning and
concentration levels. There are numerous
different neurotransmitters that influence
how we think and feel.