Words: Team THINKWELLNESS360
Q: What are the best foods for the mind, or mental well-being, especially in our troubled times? I’d appreciate your guidance.
— JRK, Lucknow
Meat, fruits, and vegetables — studies have suggested that these foods have the potential to boost mood and mental health. But, which are best? Well, according to new research, the effects of specific foods on psychological well-being are highly dependent on a person’s age.
Research from the State University of New York at Binghamton, US, found that certain foods affect the mood and mental wellness of young adults differently to that of older adults and vice versa.
The study’s co-author Dr Lina Begdache, PhD, RDN, CDN, CNS-S, FAND, Assistant Professor of Health and Wellness Studies at Binghamton, and colleagues believe that their findings may help individuals to make food choices that benefit their mental well-being.
The team recently reported their results in Nutritional Neuroscience.
In recent years, researchers have established that what we eat can have a significant impact on our mental health. A study reported by Medical News Today, for example, suggested that increasing the intake of fruits and vegetables can improve psychological well-being in just two weeks, while other research has suggested a link between red meat intake and reduced risk of depression.
It is believed that such benefits are down to how certain foods modify our brain chemistry and/or affect psychological health. But, Dr Begdache and colleagues make an important point: the structure of our brains is not the same throughout our entire lifespan.
As the research notes, “Brain maturation may not complete until the age of 30, which may explain the differential emotional control, mind-set, and resilience between young adults and matured adults.” “As a result, dietary factors may influence mental health differently in these two populations.”
To find out whether, or not, this is the case, the research team used social media platforms to send out an online Food-Mood Questionnaire [FMQ]. Respondents were divided into two groups: young adults [aged 18–29] and mature adults [aged 30, or older]. Using the FMQ data, Dr Begdache and colleagues looked at the link between diet, exercise, and mental distress in both groups.
They found that a higher intake of poultry and red meat — which increase the levels of mood-boosting chemicals in the brain, including serotonin and dopamine — was associated with better mood and mental health in young adults, but not mature adults.
“Regular exercise leads to build-up of these and other neurotransmitters as well,” notes Dr Begdache. “In other words, young adults who ate meat [red, or white], less than three times a week, and exercised less than three times week, showed a significant mental distress.”
The team says that these findings indicate that the brains of young adults may be more sensitive to any increase in brain chemicals that boost mood.
Interestingly, they also found that the psychological health of mature adults improved with a greater intake of fruits and vegetables. The team notes that these foods are rich in antioxidants, which can combat the damage caused by free radicals.
“With aging,” adds Dr Begdache, “there is an increase in free radical formation [oxidants], so our need for antioxidants increases. Free radicals cause disturbances in the brain, which increases the risk for mental distress.” — Source: Nutritional Neuroscience and Medical News Today [with especial thanks].
