On the Coast – Over 55 Issue 34 I March/February 2020 | Page 22

mood
Foods to boost
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I
t probably comes as no surprise that
mental illness is very common
among Australians. In fact, one in
five (20%) Australians aged 16-85
experience a mental illness in any year.
The most common mental illnesses are
depressive, anxiety and substance use
disorder. This problem extends
worldwide with the World Health
Organisation (WHO) estimating that
depression will be the number one
health concern worldwide by 2030.
While many of the risk factors
contributing towards developing a mental
illness may be out of a person’s control
such as genetics or early life trauma, the
good news is that there are factors we can
control to reduce our risk and also help
boost our mood. More and more research
is showing that what you eat can reduce
your risk of developing mood disorders
such as depression and anxiety in the first
place and can also help improve mood in
those who have been diagnosed with one
of these disorders.
Poor quality diets high in processed
and refined foods are associated with
an increased risk of developing mood
disorders, whereas better quality diets
are consistently associated with a
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O N T H E C OA S T – OVER 5 5
reduced risk of depression. In fact a 2018
study found that those who more closely
followed a Meditteranean diet or avoided
a pro-inflammatory (unhealthy) diet
had a 24-35% lower risk of depressive
symptoms compared to those who ate
more unhealthy foods. Another study
in 2017 called the SMILES trial showed
that a modified Mediterranean diet- a
form of a plant-based diet that contains
smaller amounts of meat and dairy- could
improve or even reverse depression in a
small sample of people.
How does a healthy diet
help improve mood?
Eating a healthier diet can have a positive
effect on mood and mental health
through numerous different pathways in
the body. A healthy diet can help boost
boost mood by:
Having a positive effect on
inflammation in the body. Depression
has been associated with inflammation in
the body including in the brain
Improving an individual’s gut health
including the diversity of healthy
bacteria they carry . The average adults
carries anywhere between 1-3kg of
bacteria, viruses and fungi in their large
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BY NICOLE SALIBA
intestine collectively referred to as the
gut microbiota. Our gut microbiota play
an important role when it comes to mood
regulation and stress hormones
Helping protect an important part
of the brain called the hippocampus
which plays an important role in helping
regulate emotions as well as learning,
memory and mood.
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How does an unhealthy diet
contribute to low mood?
Eating an unhealthy diet which contains
high amounts of added sugars, sugar-
sweetened beverages, processed cereal
foods (e.g. white bread, nutrigrain),
processed meats, trans fats, sodium (salt)
and food additives such as emulsifiers can
worsen mood by
ƒ Reduces the diversity of bugs in our gut
ƒ Shrinking the hippocampus, a part of
the brain central to mood regulations
ƒ Increasing inflammation
ƒ Reducing the production of important
brain chemicals which boost mood
called neurotransmitters and
ƒ Negatively affecting important brain
proteins that protect the brain against
damage and promote the growth of
new brain cells.