How Nutrition Impacts Mental Health: The Essential Link Between What We Eat and How We Feel

Good nutrition isn’t just about keeping our bodies healthy; it also plays a crucial role in our mental wellbeing. What we eat can impact our mood, energy levels, and ability to cope with stress. For adults in the UK, paying attention to our diet can make a big difference in managing mental health. In this post, we’ll explore the connection between nutrition and mental health, clear up common myths, recognise signs of poor nutrition, and discuss when to seek help.

Why Good Nutrition is Important for Mental Health

Eating a balanced diet is essential for staying mentally well. Nutrients from food fuel the brain, balance hormones, and support brain functions that help us feel positive and focused. The NHS and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) both highlight that a diet rich in vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats is crucial for mental health.

We spoke with nutritionist Lucas Pascoate on the impacts of balanced eating, and he explained, “The goal is really to maintain a balanced diet. When we eat a variety of foods and get all the nutrients we need, both our body and mind tend to function well. But if we keep eating the same things repeatedly, we can end up missing out on some nutrients while getting too much of others, like sugar and fat, which might lead to deficiencies in essential nutrients like iron.

"Today, we know that certain vitamins are closely linked to our neurological health. For example, Vitamin B12, or cobalamin, is a micronutrient essential for a well-functioning nervous system. If we lack B12, we might experience symptoms like fatigue, memory issues, brain fog, poor balance, and similar effects. We also know that low levels of vitamin D are directly associated with depression symptoms.

"So overall, a healthy, varied diet supports good health. But with poor eating habits, we risk either lacking certain nutrients or having excesses, which throws our body off balance and can lead to various issues.”

Research supports this view, showing that diets rich in fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, and healthy fats can reduce the risk of mental health issues like depression and anxiety. In fact, poor diets are linked to a 25-35% higher risk of depression in adults (Firth et al., 2019).

How UK Adults Measure Up on Nutrition

In the UK, many adults fall short when it comes to getting the right nutrients. According to the National Diet and Nutrition Survey (Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, OHID), only 31% of adults eat the recommended five portions of fruits and vegetables per day, while about 55% consume too much sugar. A lack of proper nutrients can lead to mood swings, fatigue, and a weaker ability to cope with stress, increasing the risk of mental health issues.

How Food Affects Your Mood

The food we eat impacts mental health in several ways:

Neurotransmitter Support: Nutrients like amino acids, B vitamins, and minerals (such as magnesium) help create neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, which are essential for regulating mood (Rao et al., 2008).
Brain Health Protection: Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish, nuts, and seeds, are important for keeping brain cells healthy. Research shows omega-3s can help improve mood and support those with depression, especially when combined with other treatments (Grosso et al., 2016).
Inflammation Reduction: Diets high in processed foods, sugar, and saturated fats may cause inflammation, which has been linked to depression and anxiety. Anti-inflammatory foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fish can help reduce inflammation, boosting mood and resilience to stress (Harvard Medical School, 2019).

Signs You Might Need a Nutritional Boost

Certain signs may indicate that you’re not getting enough essential nutrients, including:

Constant tiredness or low energy
Mood swings or feeling down for no clear reason
Trouble focusing or remembering things
Frequent colds or illnesses
Digestive problems

If you notice these signs, small changes to your diet might improve how you feel mentally and physically.

Common Myths About Nutrition and Mental Health

The connection between diet and mental health can be confusing, especially with so much conflicting information. Here are some common myths, along with the real story:

Myth: Only “Superfoods” Can Boost Mental Health
Reality: No single “superfood” can transform mental health on its own. What matters is a balanced diet with a variety of whole foods. Lucas Pascoate emphasised that “there’s no such thing as a ‘superfood.’ The term is often used to hype a particular food as a ‘miracle cure,’ but in reality, what we have — and this is still a debated topic —are functional foods, which come with specific properties, like oats with high soluble fibre.”

Pascoate explained, “Ultimately, no single food is ‘super.’ Instead, it’s the right combinations of foods that offer the best choices within each person’s unique context, creating the most beneficial options for each individual.” Research supports this, showing that a Mediterranean-style diet rich in fruits, vegetables, fish, and whole grains is linked to better mental health than diets focused on individual “superfoods” (Jacka et al., 2017).
Myth: Cutting Carbs Helps Mental Clarity
Reality: The brain relies on carbohydrates for energy. Cutting carbs completely can lead to mood swings and irritability. Instead, choose complex carbs like whole grains, which provide steady energy without the sugar spikes (Rao et al., 2008).
Myth: Supplements Can Replace a Healthy Diet
Reality: Whole foods offer a complex mix of nutrients, fibre, and antioxidants that isolated supplements can’t match. For instance, omega-3s and B vitamins are more effective when consumed as part of a whole diet. NICE recommends consulting a healthcare professional before taking supplements, as they may interact with medications.
Myth: Weight is the Only Way Diet Affects Mental Health
Reality: Nutrition impacts mental health beyond just weight. Nutrients affect brain chemistry, inflammation, and energy levels. This means improving your diet can benefit mental health even if your weight doesn’t change.
Myth: Eating Healthy is Expensive
Reality: While some healthy foods can be pricey, eating well doesn’t have to be costly. Affordable foods like beans, lentils, oats, and frozen fruits and vegetables provide essential nutrients on a budget. OHID suggests small swaps, like choosing whole fruits over sugary snacks, to improve nutrition affordably.

When and Why to Seek Help

If making healthy dietary changes doesn’t seem to improve your mood, or if symptoms persist, it may be time to seek help. A GP can refer you to a dietitian or mental health professional who specialises in the role of nutrition in mental wellbeing. Addressing both mental health and nutrition early can make a big difference in mood, stress management, and overall quality of life.

Seeking help is important because poor nutrition and mental health symptoms often create a cycle—poor diet can worsen mental health, which in turn can make healthy eating harder. Professional support can help break this cycle, guiding you to make positive changes that support both diet and mental health.

What the Latest Research Says

The field of nutritional psychiatry, which focuses on the connection between diet and mental health, is growing fast. A recent review in Nutritional Neuroscience suggests that dietary changes can help manage depression as part of a broader approach to mental health care (Jacka et al., 2017). The World Health Organization is now working to include diet recommendations in mental health policies, which is a promising development.

References

Firth, J., et al. (2019). The Lancet Psychiatry: The link between diet and mental health: An updated review of the evidence.
Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID). National Diet and Nutrition Survey. London: OHID.
Rao, T. S., et al. (2008). “The role of diet in mental health: An overview,” Indian Journal of Psychiatry.
Grosso, G., et al. (2016). “A comprehensive meta-analysis on omega-3 fatty acids and depression,” The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Jacka, F. N., et al. (2017). “Dietary interventions in mental health: A review of current evidence,” Nutritional Neuroscience.
Harvard Medical School. (2019). “Diet and depression: A correlation between diet and mental health.” Harvard Health Publishing.