Since I was a I child I’ve always been told to eat my vegetables, but it wasn’t until now that I understood why a well-balanced diet is important. My experiences with poor nutrition have had a significant influence on my mental health. And even today as a someone who lives in a Hispanic household with traditional meals and the snacks in the pantry that don’t follow the Healthy Eating Pyramid, and in college unable to provide a “good” diet for myself struggles with the influence of a poor diet. The first time I experienced the effects of a poor diet was in 2023 when I decided to start going to the gym and eat healthier because for many years I struggled with my mental health. I believe I was consistent for almost that entire year, I noticed I had a lot more energy, my skin was a lot clearer, caffeine intake lowered, and overall, just felt better about myself which improved my mental health.
It wasn’t until later that year when I took on more responsibilities and I became busier with school and work unable to include my gym into my routine. At first, I wasn’t as impacted because I’d still try to include a balanced diet and a 30-minute walk, but after a few weeks I’d forget a couple meals, became sleep deprived, completely left out any exercise, and became reliant on coffee for my source of energy. I started to notice feeling fatigue more often, I couldn’t get out of bed some days, and I just couldn’t keep up with myself which resulted in feeling unhappy. That’s when I experienced the impact of nutrition.
Let’s dive into nutrition, what is it and why it’s important? According to Harvard Health Publishing they say, “Nutrition is about eating a regular, balanced diet. The food you eat supply the nutrients your body needs to maintain your brain, muscle, bone, nerves, skin, blood circulation, and immune system.” But what exactly could that mean? Well, nutrition can affect you as early as you being in the womb. Laura Williamson explains that what a woman eats during her pregnancy significantly impacts the development of their baby’s brain. “Folate, or vitamin B9, plays a critical role in fetal brain development, and mothers who don't get enough may give birth to children with birth defects and neural tube defects.”, says Williamson, superior supplements during the fetus stage can help performance and problem solving when growing into adulthood.
I’m not sure if my mother ever took the right supplements during her pregnancy but I know I didn’t have nutritionist meals as a child, which greatly affected how I interacted in school. I remember having to work extra with my teachers during recess or spent my lunches in the classroom because I wasn’t at the same reading levels or doing math as fast as my classmates. Since the moment we start school, we’re told food is the fuel for our bodies. So, how does it create the fuel? Our bodies strip the nutrients out of the foods we eat and use them to “turn some of them into hormones and neurotransmitters that help the body and mind regulate themselves.” (Diet and Mental Health: how Nutrition Shapes Your Well-Being, 2024). McLean Hospital also says that if those nutrients are unavailable, the nutrients that are, are packed away and your body focuses on surviving which puts your mental health and energy levels on the line (2024).
The nervous system plays a crucial part on how our body sends and receives messages. Our bodies rely heavily on nutrients to “to build proteins and create and maintain nerve fibers” (Diet and Mental Health: how Nutrition Shapes Your Well-Being, 2024). The nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids we consume all play a role on how our body functions, even support cognitive function and mood swings (Rebecca 2024). But if we aren’t consuming the proper minerals and vitamins, are body declines along with our mood swings. Eva Selhub MD explains that diets in refined sugars are harmful to the brain, it disturbs the regulation of insulin leading to worsening mood disorders such as depression. During the time I was eating healthy and taking the proper vitamins, I was happier and calmer in situations I’ll usually stress over. And now that I’m not keeping up with what’s recommended, I’m drowsier, I have more negative thoughts about myself, and my moods has significantly declined. Sometimes it’s even hard to get out of bed and do my daily tasks. I’ve noticed these changes within myself and unfortunately, it’s hard to get out of it because of the feeling of not having enough time or telling myself what’s the point I’m already here which is a clear example of what a poor diet can do to you. That’s another thing when I was eating healthy, I was more energetic, able to do things because I was in a good state of mind.
There was a study that was conducted in the 50s called The Seven Countries’ study, this study included the following countries: Italy, Finland, Greece, United States, the Netherlands, Yougoslavia, Japan. Some of those countries endorsed a diet called Mediterranean Diet (MD), this diet is “generally based on the daily intake of fruit and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, fish, white meats, and olive oil.” (Ventriglio et al. 2020). As for the rest of the countries it was reported that they consumed high in sugars, fats, milk, and potatoes. It was reported that the group with the MD diet showed improved compounds of metabolic syndrome, better quality of life, and cognitive function. There was a specific study that targeted 152 people that self-reported depressive symptoms, these people received MD cooking instructions for 3monts and fish oil supplements for 6 months. They split the groups into 95 people achieved the 3-months and 85 achieved 6-months, at the end of the trial the group who completed 3 months resulted in significantly reduced depressive symptoms and improved mental health (Ventriglio et al. 2020). In addition, the group that completed the 6-month trial also showed a decrease in depression and improved mental health.
The American Psychiatric Association (APA) conducted a poll between March 16 and 17, 2023. The poll indicated how well adults knew the connections between diet and mental health and their willingness to make a difference (ASN Staff, 2023). The poll was completed among 2,2000 adults and it resulted in only 66% felt knowledge of the connection, 81% would change their diet, and 43% would more than likely change their diet to boost their mental health. Given this information, I can predict that not many people know the effects of what a well-balanced diet and the positive effects it has on mental health.
Now that I think about it, I don’t see much talk about a healthy diet. Instead, we’re seeing more and more advertising of unhealthy foods. Such as what deals that are going on when buying fast food, sugary drinks, and snacks. According to Uconn Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health, “Companies spend almost $14 billion per year on food advertisements in the United States.” And 80% of those advertisements are for processed foods, targeting children, teenagers, and communities of color (Unconn 2017). Uconn also reports that comparing to the advertisement budget for unhealthy foods to the budget for Disease Control and Prevention, which is $1 billion, doesn’t make sense. This projects how America doesn’t bother for the health of the people.
In conclusion, my personal journey underlines the vital connection between nutrition and mental health, embellishing how balanced eating habits can remarkably influence the well-being and emotional stability of oneself. Many studies including the Mediterranean Diet study, as I mentioned, represents that proper nutrition not only promotes physical health but as well shows the effect on mood and cognitive function. As I resume facing the challenges of a full-time working college students, I acknowledge the importance of nutritious foods to stabilize my mental health and energy levels. And to those facing mental health challenges, you can give a healthier eating habit a try, to create a better lifestyle.
Works Cited
Marshall, Mallika. “Nutrition.” Harvard Health, 31 Jan. 2023, www.health.harvard.edu/topics/nutrition.
“Diet, Nutrition & Mental Health | Mclean Hospital.” Mass General Brigham McLean, 24 May 2024, www.mcleanhospital.org/essential/nutrition.
Williamson, Laura, and American Heart Association News. “Food for Thought: How Diet Affects the Brain over a Lifetime.” Www.Heart. Org, 27 Sept. 2024, www.heart.org/en/news/2024/09/27/food-for-thought-how-diet-affects-the-brain-over-a-lifetime.
Christine Phillips, Rebecca. “Nutrition and the Nervous System.” CNY Mental Health Counseling, PLLC- Therapy in Manlius, NY, 23 Dec. 2024, cnymhc.com/nutrition-and-the-nervous-system/.
MD, Eva Selhub. “Nutritional Psychiatry: Your Brain on Food.” Harvard Health, 18 Sept. 2022, www.health.harvard.edu/blog/nutritional-psychiatry-your-brain-on-food-201511168626.
Ventriglio, Antonio, et al. “Mediterranean Diet and Its Benefits on Health and Mental Health: A Literature Review.” Clinical Practice and Epidemiology in Mental Health: CP & EMH, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 30 July 2020, pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7536728/.
Staff, ASN. “How to Boost Mental Health through Better Nutrition.” American Society for Nutrition, 18 Apr. 2023, nutrition.org/how-to-boost-mental-health-through-better-nutrition/.
“Food Marketing.” UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health, 20 Apr. 2020, uconnruddcenter.org/research/food-marketing/.
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