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Mental health link to diet change

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Changes to diet are being linked to a range of mental health problems

Changes to diets over the last 50 years may be playing a key role in

the rise of mental illness, a study says.

Food campaigners Sustain and the Mental Health Foundation said the

way food was now produced had altered the balance of key nutrients

people consume.

 

The period has also seen the UK population eating less fresh food and

more saturated fats and sugars.

 

They said this is leading to depression and memory problems, but food

experts said the research was not conclusive.

 

Dr Andrew McCulloch, chief executive of the Mental Health Foundation,

said: " We are well aware of the effect of diet upon our physical

health.

 

DIET AND MENTAL HEALTH

Depression - Linked to low intakes of fish - high in omega-3 fatty

acids which are essential for good brain health

Schizophrenia - Epidemiological evidence has shown sufferers have

lower levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids, unclear though what

changes need to address this

Alzheimer's disease - Some studies have suggested high vegetable

consumption can protect against the brain disorder

ADHD - Research shown children with disorder are low in iron and

fatty acids

 

" But we are only just beginning to understand how the brain as an

organ is influenced by the nutrients it derives from the foods we eat

and how diets have an impact on our mental health. "

 

And he added that addressing mental health problems with changes in

diet was showing better results in some cases than using drugs or

counselling.

 

The report, Feeding Minds, pointed out the delicate balance of

minerals, vitamins and essential fats consumed had changed in the

past five decades.

 

Researchers said the proliferation of industrialised farming had

introduced pesticides and altered the body fat composition of animals

due to the diet they are now fed.

 

For example, the report said chickens reach their slaughter weight

twice as fast as they did 30 years ago, increasing the fat content

from 2% to 22%.

 

The diet has also altered the balance of vital fatty acids omega-3

and omega-6 in chickens which the brain needs to ensure it functions

properly.

 

In contrast, saturated fats, consumption of which has been increasing

with the boom in ready meals, act to slow down the brain's working

process.

 

The report said people were eating 34% less vegetables and two-thirds

less fish - the main source of omega-3 fatty acids - than they were

50 years ago.

 

Such changes, the study said, could be linked to depression,

schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and

Alzheimer's disease.

 

The two groups urged people to adopt healthier diets, with more fresh

vegetables, fruit and fish, and called on the government to raise

awareness about the issue.

 

Report researcher Courtney Van de Weyer said: " The good news is that

the diet for a healthy mind is the same as the diet for a healthy

body.

 

" The bad news is that, unless there is a radical overhaul of food and

farming policies there won't be healthy and nutritious foods

available in the future for people to eat. "

 

Rebecca Foster, a nutrition scientist at the British Nutrition

Foundation, said: " The evidence associating mental health and

nutrient intake is in its infancy, this is a very difficult

association to research and in many cases results are subjective.

 

" Therefore, it is difficult to draw conclusions about the association

between mental illness and dietary intake at this point.

 

" However, the nutrient recommendations outlined in this report are in

line with recommendations for good health, which should continue to

be advocated by all health professionals. "

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