Mounting evidence suggests that mental health is closely linked to physical health, especially in terms of eating a balanced diet. Depressive disorders, for example, affect more than 300 million people worldwide and represent the most common concern people bring forward to their GPs. Doctors for Nutrition, a health-promotion charity, report that a whole food plant-based diet can improve people’s mental and physical health, increasing the life expectancy of people with lesser mental health.
Dr Alyce Churchill, a Doctors for Nutrition spokesperson, said, “Nutrition interventions are an important tool that we need to utilise in caring for some of society’s most vulnerable people.” A Doctors for Nutrition study also found that dietary interventions have potential when used as a novel treatment for reducing symptoms of depression.
Although there is a myriad of factors contributing to mental health, having a nutritious diet, and encouraging the conversation around such a topic is important in spreading awareness.
