diet in mental health

1. SUBJECT :- MENTAL HEALTH NURSING
TOPIC :- Practice Teaching on “Diet and Nutrition in
Mental Health”
Submitted to :- Submitted by:-
Mrs. Namita lal Shristi Nath
M.Sc. [N] lecturer M.Sc. Nursing
College of Nursing 1 year student
Dhamtari College of Nursing
Dhamtari

3. INTRODUCTION :-
 Increasingly, researchers are concluding that the diets
of people with mental health disorders are lacking in
key nutrients for brain health. And they're finding that
replenishing these nutrients can play an important
role in treating those disorders a healthful diet can
improve mental health and help treat or prevent
certain mental health problem.

4. DEFINITION :-
 Diet and nutrition in mental heath or Nutritional
psychiatry, which some refer to as psychonutrition, is a
new field of study that focuses on the effect of diet on
mental health.
 “Nutritional psychiatry” is a fast-growing approach
that uses food and supplements in the treatment of
mental health conditions.

5. IMPORTANCE OF DIET AND
NUTRITION IN MENTAL HEALTH

6.  brain needs energy (20% of all energy needed by the
body is used by the brain). This energy comes from
blood glucose,
 When blood glucose rises and falls rapidly, it can have
an impact on mood, making feel irritable, low and
even triggering symptoms of anxiety.
Cabohydrate

7. Sources :-
 sources of carbohydrates include:
 wholegrains
 fruits
 vegetables
 legumes
 lower fat dairy

8. Protein :-
 Amino acid - tyrosine and tryptophan, which are the
precursor of neurotransmitter dopamine and lead to
depression and aggression.
 sources
 Protein is found in lean meat, fish, eggs, nuts and
seeds, cheese, soya products and legumes

9. Sources :-

10. fat
 Fatty acids, like omega-3 and
omega-6, are essential for our
brains to function well.
Omega 3 fatty acid :-
 Omega 3 fatty acid is
associated with depression
and bipolar disorder.
Source :-
 nuts, seeds, oily fish, poultry,
avocados, dairy products and
eggs.

11. Vitamins and minerals
 vitamins and minerals play important role in both our
physical and mental health The best way to ensure
getting enough of the vitamins and minerals need is to
eat a varied and balanced diet, rich in fruit and
vegetables.

12. Iron:
Iron deficiency can lead to:-
 Increase risk of mood
disorder,
 Neurodevelopment
disorder,
 Anxiety disorder
 ADHD
Sources :-
 Foods rich in iron include
red meat, poultry, fish,
beans and pulses and
fortified cereals.

13. vitamins B:
 Vitamin B 1 ( thiamine) :-
Vitamin B 1 Deficiency can
result in wernicke
encephalopathy ( confusion
,ataxia, nystagmus) and
wernicke – korsakoff
syndrome ( confabulation &
amnesia – both anterograde
& retrograde .
 Sources :-
Food rich in vitamin B1
include peas ,fruit such as
banana and orange , nuts,
wholebreads, cereal, liver.

14. Vitamin B 3 (niacin) :-
 Niacin deficiency can
lead to irritability ,
emotional instability ,
severe depression ,
disorientation, memory
impairment ,
hallucination, paranoia.
 Sources :-
 Food rich in vitamin B 3
include liver, chicken,
tuna, peanut, brown rice.

15. Vitamin B 6 (pyridoxine) :-
 Pyridoxine deficiency
associated with autism ,
depression and seizure
and mental retardation
in infant .
 Sources:-
 Dried yeast , wheat
germ, rice polishing ,
liver.

16. Vitamin B 9 (Folic acid) :-
 Folic acid deficiency
may lead to depression
and dementia, paranoia ,
psychosis , agitation,
dementia.
 Sources :-
 Folic acid can be found
in green vegetables,
citrus fruits, liver, beans
and fortified foods like
marmite.

17. Vitamin B 12 (Cobalamin ):-
 Vitamin B 12 Deficiency
is associated with
cognitive impairment
,depression ,malaise,
apathy, confusion.
 Sources :-
 liver, meat,fish, egg,
milk, cheese.

18. Vitamin C :-
 Vitamin c is associated
with:-
 obsessive compulsory
disorder,
 bipolar disorder and
melancholy.
 sources :-
 amla ,guava , lime ,
orange ,tomato ,
pineapple.

19. Vitamin D :-
 Low vitamin D Concentration
associated with
 poor executive function ,
processing speed, visuo-
perception skills,
 low mood in patient with
long term eating disorder ,
autism.
 Sources :-
 fish , oil, fortified milk ,
exposure to sunlight.

20. Vitamin E :-
 Vitamin E act as
antioxidants, its
deficiency is associated
with mild cognitive
impairment , alzheimer’s
disease and tardive
dyskinesia.
 Sources :-
 vegetable oil, nuts,
green leafy vegetables,
fish, muscle meat.

21. Selenium:
 A selenium deficiency
may increase the chance
of mood instability and
anxiety.
 Sources :-
 Good sources of
selenium include Brazil
nuts, seeds, wholemeal
bread, meat and fish.

22. IODINE:-
 iodine deficiency can
result in result in
hypothyroidism which
result in secondary
depression.
 Sources :- sea food , sea
fish, sea salt , and cod
liver oil.

23. Magnesium :-
 Magnesium deficiency is
associated with
depression , nervous
irritability, tremor,
vertigo, delirium and
liability to convulsion.
Sources :-
 bajra, barley, wheat,
soyabean, grams, green
leafy vegetables, fruits,
egg, meat, fish.

24. Caffine :-
 Drinking caffeine
stimulate CNS,but its
stimulating properties
can disturb sleep and
even trigger anxiety.
 Sources :-
 coffee , tea , cola or other
energy drink) .

25. Diet for mental health:-
 Mediterranean diet
 the Mediterranean diet has the strongest evidence Trusted
Source supporting its ability to reduce the symptoms of
depression. It is also a diet that experts routinely recommend
Trusted Source for overall health and well-being.
 The Mediterranean diet that lower depression rates include:
 omega-3 fatty acids
 vitamin D
 methylfolate
 s-adenosylmethionine

26. Sources
 The Mediterranean diet consists of:
 -plenty of fruits and vegetables
 -whole grains
 -potatoes
 -cereals
 -beans and pulses
 -nuts and seeds
 -olive oil
 -low-to-moderate amounts of dairy
products, fish, and poultry
 -very little red meat
 -eggs up to four times a week
 -low-to-moderate amounts of wine

27. MIND diet :-
 This diet therapy is the intervention to focus on delay
the neurodegenerative process.
 It is the mash up Mediterranean –diet and the DASH
diet (Dietary approaches to stop hypertension) .
 Mediterranean- DASH Intervention for
Neurodegenerative Delay is briefly called as MIND
diet.

28. Benefit :-
 it has the anti- inflammatory and antioxidant effect
which fight against the brain aging process,
 slower the cognitive decline,
 reduce the risk of dementia and Alzheimer disease ,
 reduce the oxidative stress caused by free radical
accumulation in the body,
 reduce inflammation and formation of beta-amyloid
plaques (primary cause for Alzheimer’s disease) .

29. Sources :-
 The important food item by MIND diet
therapy:-
 Green leafy vegetable,
 Vegetables
 Berries,
 Nuts
 Olive oil
 Whole grains
 Fish
 Bean
 Poultry
 Wine ( both red and white wine red wine
is preferable)
 Food to avoid on MIND Diet :-
 Food rich in saturated and trans-fat:-
 Fried or fast food,
 Butter
 Red meat
 Pastries & sweet
 cheese

30. Low calorie diet
 Short-term calorie restriction has shown for treating the
symptoms of depression.
 One study that looked at the relationship between food
intake and depression defined calorie restriction as a 30–
40% decrease in calorie intake while retaining
protein, vitamin, mineral, and water intake to maintain
proper nutrition.
 Researchers Trusted Source noted that in an earlier study,
healthy people who reduced their calorie intake by 25% for
6 months also had reduced depressive symptoms

31. POLYPHENOL:-
 It is a micronutrient obtained by
consuming plant based foods
 study showed an association
between polyphenols and both
the prevention of depression
and the improvement of
depressive symptoms.
 The polyphenols came from:

 coffee
 tea
 citrus
 nuts
 soy
 grapes
 legumes
 spices

32. Diet for mental illness :-
Diet for schizophrenia :-
 Patients should eat enough foods rich in omega-3 fatty
acids.
 Patient should eat "good carbs", i.e. carbohydrates with a
low glycaemic index, which are not easily broken down into
glucose.

 Patient should include calcium in the diet by including
dairy products ideally based on skimmed milk to keep the
fat intake down.

33. Diet plan for schizophrenia :-
Breakfast Lunch dinner
1 cup oatmeal/cornflake
+milk
1 egg
1 apple
Nuts(walnut/peanut/
almond)
1 cup rice
(brownrice/basmati rice),
Chicken ,
Salad,
1 apple/ pear.
1 cup rice (basmati
/brownrice)
Fish,
Salad,
1 apple/pear

34. Breakfast Lunch Dinner
1 cup cornflake + milk/ 1
glass almond shake
1 apple
Nuts (walnut / almond
/peanut)
1 cup rice
Kidney bean/ spinach
Salad
1 apple/pear
1 cup rice
Cauliflower/ chickpea
Salad
1 apple / pear.

35. diet for mood disorders :-
 Ensuring enough omega-3 fatty acids may help to keep mood
stable.
 Consuming 1.5 to 2 gm/day omega 3 fatty acid has been shown to
stimulate mood elevation in depressed patient.
 Vanadium level are found elevated in patient with bipolar
disorder ,
 A study revealed the effectiveness of 3 gram of vitamin c in
decreasing manic symptom by preventing the toxic effect of
vanadium.
 If patient take lithium then patient should not drink too many
caffeine containing drinks such as tea and coffee since this may
reduce lithium levels.
 Selenium, folic acid (folate) and tryptophan are substances
which have all been implicated in keeping mood stable.

36. Diet for ADHD:-
 Some research has shown that people with ADHD
have lower levels of omega-3 fatty acids or may not be
able to tolerate gluten.
 Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye and barley.
 Even the ketogenic diet has been suggested.

37. Diet for autism :-
 Vitamin D level is found to be lower in children with
autism , pyridoxine deficiency and magnesium
deficiency associated with autism.
 Studies revealed high dose of pyridoxine and
magnesium is helpful in management of autism.

38. Diet for eating disorder :-
 Low vitamin D is associated with low mood in patient
with long term eating disorder like anorexia nervosa
and bulimia nervosa.
 Vitamin D 3 may be used as novel therapies in the
treatment of long standing eating disorder.

39. Diet for depression :-
 S –Adenosyl- methionine(SAMe) has important role in
treatment of depression it has anitidepressant
property and it also potentiate the effect of
antidepressant.
 vitamin D is found to be useful in augmenting agent
in treatment of depression,
 In a week trail , patient with depression receiving
fluoxetine along with 1500 IU/ day of vitamin D3 had
shown significantly better response than patient
receiving fluoxetine alone.
 Diet rich in Omega -3 fatty acid ,amino acid , vitamin
B6 are helpful in reducing depression.

40. Foods or diets to avoid:-
 Several studies have shown that people
who follow a Western diet comprising
highly processed foods are more likely to
have major depression or persistent mild
depression.
 The foods to be avoided for mental
health include:-
 processed foods
 fried foods
 refined grains, such as white bread
 sugary products
 beer
 A 2010 study Trusted Source showed that
women who ate unhealthful Western-
style diets had more psychological
symptoms.

41. Summary:-
 Researchers are still determining how diet affects
mental health .A healthful diet that can positively
affect a person’s weight, blood pressure, cholesterol,
and may also affect a person’s mental health and may
aid treatment for poor mental health.