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The Foods That Could Make Us Mentally Ill

Posted on: Monday, 16 January 2006, 18:00 CST

By BETH HALE

MODERN diets of processed foods and TV dinners have been linked to a worrying rise in the number of mental health cases.

Experts say changes to farming practices and a fall in the amount of fresh produce and fish being eaten are contributing to the increase.

Over the past 50 years the average diet has been transformed beyond recognition as has the way in which food is grown and produced.

Now there is growing scientific evidence linking the type of food people eat to mood and behaviour.

Experts believe that dietary changes may hold the key to combating problems such as depression, schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and Alzheimer's disease.

A report by the Mental Health Foundation, a charity, and food campaign group Sustain, says diet can have an immediate and lasting effect on a person's mind and behaviour because of how it affects brain function and structure.

Dr Andrew McCulloch, Foundation chief executive, said: 'We are well aware of the effect of diet upon our physical health, but we are only just beginning to understand how the brain, as an organ, is influenced by the nutrients it derives from the foods we eat, and how our diets have an impact on our mental health.

'This evidence raises a number of important questions for us all.' The Feeding Minds report says that changes in the way food is produced have not only reduced amounts of essential fats, vitamins and minerals in our diets, but have also disturbed the balance of nutrients in foods.

The growth of industrialised farming methods has introduced pesticides which alter the body fat composition of animals due to the diets they are fed.

As a result, our intake of important omega 3 fatty acids has decreased, while consumption of omega 6 fatty acids has increased.

It is the unequal intake of the two important groups, combined with a lack of vitamins and minerals, that researchers say is linked with depression and concentration and memory problems. The diet of Britons today is very different to that of previous generations relying less on fresh produce and higher in saturated fats and sugars.

In the last 60 years, vegetable consumption has dropped by 34 per cent. Only 13 per cent of men and 15 per cent of women now eat the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables each day.

The report also said consumers are eating 59 per cent less fish the main source of omega 3, thought to aid concentration and brain development than 60 years ago.

Experts are particularly concerned for the young. Only 29 per cent of 15 to 24-year-olds questioned ate a meal made from scratch each day compared with 50 per cent of over-65s.

The report also highlighted the importance of amino acids, which come from meat, fish, eggs and dairy food. The neurotransmitters in the brain are made from amino acids. Not having enough could lead to feelings of depression and apathy.

The Feeding Minds report looked at more than 4,000 published articles and research papers into diet and its impact on the brain.

Researchers also spoke to volunteers about their diet.

The Foundation and Sustain have launched the Feeding Minds campaign to highlight the links between diet and mental health.

They are urging the Government to increase financial and political support for measures to ensure everyone has access to affordable and attractive nutrient-rich foods.

Dr McCulloch said: 'Our Government cannot ignore the growing burden of mental ill-health in the UK and must look to nutrition as an option in helping people to manage mental health problems.

'The potential rewards, in economic terms, and in terms of alleviating suffering, are enormous.' Courtney Van de Weyer of Sustain, said: 'The good news is that the diet for a healthy mind is the same as the diet for a healthy body.

'The bad news is that, unless there is a radical overhaul of food and farming policies particularly on fish there won't be healthy and nutritious foods available in the future for people to eat.'

Source: Daily Mail; London (UK)

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