What You Eat Shapes Your Mental Health

Did you know what’s on your plate shapes what's on your mind? In honor of March being Nutrition Month we wanted to highlight some ways good food fuels your mood and supports your overall mental wellbeing.  

Food as Fuel for Your Brain

Food is information for your body at a cellular level, as the food you consume helps regulate important systems that influence mental health, including gut microbiome, hormonal, immune, nervous and metabolic.

When these systems are in balance, they work together to help you manage stress, stay focused, and feel emotionally steady. These systems communicate through vast coordinated pathways, working together to promote balance, helping the body to regulate, adapt to and manage stress. Inadequate nutrition, sleep, and chronic stress—among other lifestyle factors can disrupt balance in these systems, impeding mental health. 

The nutrients from the foods we eat also play a role in shaping how our genes become expressed through a process called epigenetics.

Epigenetics is a field of study that explores your genes' unique expression in response to environmental factors, turning genes on and off in the process through a process called methylation.  Nutrients, including Vitamin B12, folate, betaine, and choline, found in leafy greens, eggs, mushrooms, and seafood support methylation.

This biochemical process aids in neurotransmitter production, among other regulatory roles in the body that affect mental health (such as mediating inflammation, hormones, detox and brain function). Disruptions in methylation have been implicated to play a role in mental health, underscoring its importance. 

Genetic variants can also affect these pathways and body systems, highlighting the supportive role nutrition and lifestyle factors have in mediating these factors.  

Polyphenols, including EGCG (green tea and berries) and curcumin (from turmeric) help to also modulate this process. 

Research also shows marked dysregulation in bioenergetics—or cellular energy production, metabolism, and balance—and that of  mental health conditions. The way the body uses energy, therefore, plays a role in supporting mental health and influencing gene expression. 

A whole foods, nutrient dense diet supports balance of these systems and pathways, while promoting cellular health and function, having encouraging implications for mental health. 

The Gut-Brain Connection

A growing body of research underscores the role the gut microbiome and its metabolites have in modulating various body systems that influence mental health— including metabolic, immune and hormonal. In addition to governing these functions, the gut microbiome is also responsible for producing vitamins, neurotransmitters and hormones that impact mood and adaptation to stress. 

Further, the gut microbiome encodes for nearly 5 million genes, with vast opportunity to support gene expression in favorable ways; while synthesizing at least 30 million neurotransmitters— including GABA, serotonin, dopamine and acetylcholine important for mood. 

Fiber, prebiotics, and probiotics support the growth of beneficial gut bacteria and improve gut health. Fermented foods, including sauerkraut, miso, kimchi, kombucha, and yogurt and fiber-rich sources (fruits, vegetables and legumes) support gut health. 

Nutrients That Support Mental Health

Foods with natural digestive enzymes (papaya, mangoes and pineapple) can also aid in digestive and anti-inflammatory functions. This is important, as systemic inflammation has been suggested to have a role in mental health.

Antioxidants found in fruits, vegetables, and spices, including turmeric and rosemary help to combat oxidative stress and reduce inflammation. Leafy greens, broccoli, seeds, nuts, and fatty fish can help to regulate hormone, metabolic and immune health, while supporting appropriate detoxification in the body— all of which support mental health.  

Quality proteins and fatty acids are also important for regulating these functions. Proteins break down into amino acids which serve as precursors to neurotransmitters, like Dopamine, Serotonin and GABA; while also playing a vital role in methylation. Fatty acids (omega-3s) support the regulation of neurotransmitter systems, as well as inflammation. 

A number of micronutrients also have important roles in mental health:

• Vitamin D (salmon, sardines, poultry mushrooms) is important for serotonin production and modulating immunity, inflammation, and methylation. Whereas zinc (oysters, nuts and seeds) supports the conversion of 5-HTP into serotonin, while also regulating gut microbiome, immune and hormonal health. 

• BDNF Dark chocolate, berries, grapes and olive oil support the body with nutrients for Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF)– an important10 protein widely distributed throughout the central nervous system that supports inflammation and neuroplasticity, among other brain functions. Low levels of BDNF have been found in mental health conditions, as evidenced by a 2024 study. 

• Vitamin B6 is important for the production of serotonin and GABA, while zinc is necessary for converting 5-HTP into serotonin. Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as wild fish, flaxseeds, and walnuts, support cellular and brain health, inflammation and immunity. Sufficient amounts of protein also aid in amino acid (neurotransmitter synthesis) 

• Quercetin (onion, apples, broccoli, leafy greens) supports cellular health and gene expression, having implications for mental health. Iron (spinach, salmon, beef, legumes, dark chocolate, cashews) supports methylation and neurotransmitter production. 

• Vitamin A (pumpkin, spinach, sweet potatoes, carrots) supports methylation, cellular and immune health. Vitamin C (oranges, strawberries, broccoli) supports the body with gene expression and antioxidant properties. 

Minimizing processed foods is also important, as these wreak havoc on many of the body’s systems that influence mental health, including inflammation, metabolic, gut microbiome and immune health; these foods also are depleted of nutritional value. 

Adequate hydration, sleep, movement and lifestyle factors for modulating stress are also imperative in addition to sufficient nutrition. 

The connection of nutrition and mental health is vast and encouraging, and rooted in science. A whole foods, nutrient dense way of eating, in conjunction with a healthy lifestyle can be greatly impactful in promoting balance in the body and mind, as well as expressing our genes in favorable ways that support our well being.