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Naturopathic Medicine and Mental Health
By: HarmonieEleveld, Naturopathic Doctor
NaturalChoiceMedicalClinic.com
How Can Food Affect My Brain?
Do you feel clear, grounded and balanced? Or are you
at the whim of emotions that seem to take you over?
Mood imbalances, including anxiety and depression,
are common in our society. Those suffering from them
often feel helpless and cannot remember what it feels
like to be calm, grounded, or to experience their
emotions without being overcome by them.
Naturopathic medicine has helped many people to
regain balance and address the deeper issues that lead
to anxiety and depression. One of these deeper issues
can be the food we put into our bodies.
I am sure you have heard the saying “you are what you
eat”, but have you ever really taken that phrase
seriously? If you put Coke into your car instead of gas,
would it run properly? What I am saying is that if we
don’t fuel our bodies properly, they won’t work properly,
and that includes our brains.
Mental illness can be a result of, or exacerbated by,
biochemical imbalances caused by an inappropriate
diet. What is important to remember is that what might
be okay for one person may cause significant problems
for another. An example of this occurs in children with
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Research has shown that removing artificial food
colouring from their diets can cause significant
improvement in their symptoms. Most other people do
not seem to be obviously affected by artificial food
colouring, (not to say that artificial colour is necessarily
a healthy choice for anyone else).
Our brains require many different nutrients to function
optimally. These include vitamins, minerals, essential
fatty acids, etc. We need to be consuming adequate
amounts of these nutrients in our diets for our brains to
work to their full potential.
PLACE PHOTO HERE,
OTHERWISE DELETE BOX
5 Tips to Improve your
Mental Health
1. Eat oily fish and walnuts
Both oily fish and walnuts contain a high amount of
Omega-3 fatty acids which are essential for brain health
and for decreasing inflammation in the body. The best
oily fish to consider in order to avoid accumulated heavy
metals and PCBs include: Wild pacific salmon, pacific
sardines, farmed rainbow trout, smelt and anchovies. If
you can’t or don’t want to eat fish, consider speaking to
your naturopathic doctor about supplementing with a
good quality fish oil.
2. Have leafy green vegetables at every meal
Leafy greens have one of the highest nutrient densities
of all foods. If you want to make sure you are not
deficient in any of your essential nutrients, have a
handful of leafy greens at every meal (and yes that
includes breakfast!) Try them in a smoothie or juiced.
3. Exercise at least 20 minutes every day
Exercise plays a huge role in your mental health.
Numerous research studies have confirmed a significant
improvement in conditions such as depression from
exercise.
4. Try yoga or meditation
Yoga or meditation has a positive effect on psychiatric
problems from mild depression to sleep troubles to
schizophrenia. It allows the individual to calm the mind
and focus inward, while stretching and working the
muscles of the body.
5. Spend some time in nature everyday!
Recent research published last year shows what many
of us have known our entire lives; that being outside
amongst nature actually benefits our mental health!
“NATURE HEALS; THE PHYSICIAN IS ONLY THE ASSISTANT.”
Naturopathic Medicine and Mental Health
By: HarmonieEleveld, Naturopathic Doctor
Key Nutrients for Maintaining
Optimal Mental Health
1. Vitamin B12
Deficiency or sub-optimal levels of this vitamin can cause a
variety of medical problems including depressive symptoms
and anxiety. Food sources of vitamin B12 include: animal
protein, milk, eggs, seafood and fermented cheese.
2. Vitamin B3
Vitamin B3 is required to help produce energy from food in
every cell of the body. Severe vitamin B3 deficiency can
manifest as anxiety in some situations, however extra
vitamin B3 has been shown to help with anxiety even in
people who do not have a deficiency. Food sources of
vitamin B3 include: organ meat, meat, whole grains, fish,
peanuts and dairy.
3. Folic acid
Most people should not be deficient in folic acid as it is now
fortified in many of our foods. However, certain
circumstances can cause mal-absorption of folic acid
including excessive alcohol intake, gastrointestinal disease
or surgery, and the use of some medications. A deficiency
of folic acid can manifest very similarly to that of vitamin
B12 deficiency as they work together in the body.
4. Vitamin B6
Among other roles, Vitamin B6 aids in the production of
neurotransmitters which are chemicals in the body that are
vitally important for healthy brain function. Vitamin B6 can
be deficient resulting from the use of some medications.
Food sources of vitamin B6 include: meats, whole grains
and fish.
5. Magnesium
It is very common to be deficient in magnesium.
Magnesium deficiency can cause anxiety as well as
decreased stress tolerance. Further complicating matters,
excessive stress in and of itself can decrease magnesium
stored in the body. So the result is a vicious circle of stress
causing decreased magnesium and decreased magnesium
causing us to react poorly to our stress. Food sources of
magnesium include: hard water, wheat, millet, rye, rice,
buckwheat, nuts and seeds, green vegetables and soy.
6. Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Over half of the brain is made up of fatty tissue so it is very
important to provide the body with a steady source of good
healthy fats. Omega-3 fatty acids fall into this category.
Omega-3 fatty acids have also been found to be deficient in
many people with mental illness. Food sources of omega-3
fatty acids are mentioned on the reverse of this page.
NaturalChoiceMedicalClinic.com
What to Avoid to Maintain
Optimal Mental Health
1. Aspartame
Aspartame is an artificial sweetener used in many
“sugar free” foods and beverages including yogurt,
juice and soft drinks. Aspartame can cause a
variety of negative side effects including anxiety.
Aside from the mental health detriments of this
chemical, it is touted as a “diet” additive, although
research has shown that when comparing people
who drink diet pop and regular pop, the people who
drink the diet pop tended to be more overweight
than those who drank equal amounts of regular
pop. Aspartame can be an addictive substance and
should be avoided.
2. Food Sensitivities
Food sensitivities can wreak havoc in our bodies
causing inflammation which can lead to mental
health disruptions among many other problems. It
can be very difficult to determine whether a food or
foods are causing problems because the reaction
can be delayed up to 3 days. Consult a
Naturopathic Doctor to see if you have any food
sensitivities that are contributing to your health
problems.
3. Caffeine
In sensitive individuals, caffeine can cause
symptoms that are exactly like those of anxiety or
can make an already anxious person more anxious.
If you are a particularly anxious person, try avoiding
caffeine.
4. Fructose
While you may think of fructose as the sugar you
find in fruit, a modified form of it called high fructose
corn syrup is used to sweeten many processed
foods. This sugar is thought to bind to serotonin (a
chemical necessary for healthy brain function)
making it inactive and contributing to mental illness.
It is only important to avoid fructose in processed
foods as the fructose in fruit is a very minimal
amount and it is balanced by the fiber and other
beneficial components in fruit.
5. Alcohol
Excessive alcohol ingestion can significantly impact
mental illness, especially depression. If you suffer
from mental illness it is important to avoid alcohol
as much as possible.
Principle source: Gaby, A., Nutritional Medicine. (2011, Fritz Perlberg Publishing,
Concord, NH)
*The information provided in this handout is not medical advice and is meant for general informational purposes only. Always speak to your doctor before
taking any type of supplementation. If you have a mental illness, speak to a naturopathic doctor about your specific requirements and dosing for any nutrients.