How does what we eat actually affect our mental health? There is a scientifically proven connection between food and well-being, which primarily concerns the connection between the stomach and the brain. Eating healthily leads to good gut health, which also means that happiness chemicals in the brain are strengthened.
Serotonin is the chemical in the brain that makes people feel healthy and happy. The right serotonin levels, combined with a varied and healthy diet that includes the right nutrients, is considered the main key to food-related well-being.
Robert Brummer, professor of gastroenterology and clinical nutrition at Örebro University, says that mental health is closely related to gut health, which in turn is linked to inflammation.
If you have inflammation in the body, it counteracts the production and activity of serotonin in the brain.
Recommendation: Nuts and berries
He adds that those who have severe depression almost always have problems with their stomach, and vice versa. However, of course, depression and low mood are not primarily due to poor diet, but it can worsen mental illness.
Robert Brummer recommends eating products high in fibre, antioxidants and vitamins, which have a positive effect on stomach and intestinal health. Nuts, berries, wholegrain bread, vegetables and fruit are examples of such foods. Sugar, red meat and alcohol should be avoided, however.
Good food - psychological importance
To strengthen your gut health, you should take probiotics, bacteria that balance your gut flora. To increase your intake of these, you can take supplements. But there is no guarantee that they will work - and some products on the market have not been sufficiently researched, says Brummer.
There are many on the market, many of them barely work and are just there to make money. But there are those that work and have a positive effect on the immune system and intestinal flora. But I can't promise that it will work for everyone.
However, those who really want to see results should not only make sure they eat the right food. At least as important is that the food tastes good. And the company, that is, who you share the meal with.
We live so digitally these days that meeting and sharing company over meals has a major psychological impact.
The following products are recommended to be happier in everyday life and to live a healthier life:
Nuts: Hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans, for example.
Berries: Blueberries, raspberries, and more.
Vegetables: Sauerkraut, onions, garlic, asparagus.
Fruit: Bananas, apples, pears.
Foods high in fibre: Chia seeds, flax seeds, cooked white beans and kidney beans, chickpeas, almonds and oatmeal.
Other good foods: Wholegrain bread and fish - for example cod and haddock, but also fatty fish such as salmon and herring.
