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In our continuing support of National Nutrition Month, we turn from the body to mind.

The Huffington Post ran a compelling piece: “Diet May Be As Important To Mental Health As It Is To Physical Health.” The article looks at the recent U.S. Dietary Guidelines released by the U.S. Home of the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

The piece states: “For the first time, a report by a task force advising on new dietary guidelines, commissioned by the departments of Health and Human Services and Agriculture, included a point considering the possible role of diet in mental health outcomes. The USDA and HHS report notes, for example, that the American Psychiatric Association classifies omega-3 fatty acids (which are most commonly found in oily fish) as a complementary treatment for depression. However, the advisory panel concluded, for now, that the research was too limited to make policy suggestions.”

One area of focus for nutrition and the brain has to do with the nutrients we eat. The piece cites research by Dr. Drew Ramsey, an integrative psychiatrist at Columbia University: “Ramsey and colleagues' paper cites a number of studies attesting to the vital role of certain nutrients in brain health, including omega-3s, Vitamin D, B vitamins, zinc, iron and magnesium. The modern diet, while dense in calories, tends to be lacking in these important nutrients, which may be contributing to the rise in mental health conditions. Many studies have linked depression with low levels of key B vitamins, for instance, while low maternal Vitamin D levels have been found to play a role in the child's risk of developing schizophrenia.”

Said Ramsey: “Food should be the first line of defense because it's a foundational treatment. We really need to move away from thinking of things like diet and exercise as ‘complementary' or ‘alternative.' That's really bad thinking that's gotten psychiatry into trouble.”