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Diet, stress and mental health
The connection between diet and mental health, particularly how stress influences this relationship, has been a subject of interest for a long time; however, the exact nature of these interactions remains unclear. Although links between diet, obesity, metabolic syndrome (MetS), stress, and mental health disorders have been observed, the causal mechanisms are still not fully defined. The research on the connections between nutrition, stress, obesity, and stress-related mental illnesses was reviewed in this work by Bremner et al. (2020). It was found that diet and obesity can influence mood both directly or that stress-related mental disorders might lead to changes in eating habits that affect weight. Additionally, factors like stress or genetic predisposition may have an impact on obesity and stress-related conditions, including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Certain aspects of diet can cause immediate changes in mood and trigger inflammation, leading to research into the use of polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs) as a treatment for depression. The relationships among these factors are likely bidirectional. Recently, there has been growing interest in the gut-brain connection, acknowledging that the gut microbiome impacts brain function, mood, and behavior, adding another way diet may affect mental health. Brain regions and neurotransmitters involved in both mood regulation and appetite are believed to mediate this connection. Ultimately, a better understanding of how diet, stress, and mood are interlinked could have significant implications for treating both stress-related mental health disorders and obesity. [NPID: obesity, metabolic syndrome, serotonin, ghrelin, galanin, somatostatin, microbiome, brain, stress disorders, posttraumatic, child abuse, depressive disorder, diet, nutrition, cardiovascular disease, myocardial ischemia, coronary artery disease, Mediterranean diet]
Year: 2020
