Nutrition and Mental Health

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Several years ago, while I was developing a literature review about mental health and nutrition, engaged in a conversation with a nurse practitioner concerning the research about mental health medication and the influence of nutritional deficiencies on its effectiveness. He acknowledged that he was aware of the difficulty and, showing me a bottle, countered that folate is a remedy. As he walked away, my mind wandered to the variety of nutrients that compose and facilitate the formation of neurotransmitters. I have noticed that medical people rarely consider nutritional factors related to mental health. In this first contribution to my blog, I bring to your attention Kaplan, Crawford, Field, and Simpson (2007)’s review of the research about neurotransmitters, vitamins, and minerals.

In the interest of brevity, I will highlight Kaplan et al’s review of nutrients’ influence on the mental health. Many micronutrients contribute to the formation and maintenance of neurotransmitters and neurological structures. For example, folate enhances serotonin activity by lengthening the presence of tryptophan. Cobalamin (Vitamin B12) encourages myelin sheathing that covers the neuron axon and enhances conductance. Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6) facilitates the synthesis of several neurotransmitters and even influences an enzyme related with the last step of serotonin formulation. Calcium influences chemical signaling between cells. Iron is involved in the production of ATP, serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine, and epinephrine. In all, these researchers provide evidence for 12 vitamins and minerals that support the development and maintenance of mood-regulating neurotransmitters.

Much research focuses on single nutrients and ignores synergistic effects of use of several nutrients. The authors, however, contend that combinations of these nutrients avoid the problem of causing dietary imbalances and deficiencies by supplying single nutrients. Multinutrient arrays have shown promising results in improving mood and lessening violent and antisocial tendencies.

This literature review provides an approach to mental health that contrasts with the typical pharmaceutical approach. The pharmaceutical agents attempt to adjust the quantity or increase the duration of the presence of neurotransmitters that regulate mood. The manipulation of neurotransmitters, though, increases the requirement for many nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. If additional nutrients are not supplied, the elevation of the neurotransmitters increases the requirement of nutrients and eventually depletes the body’s supplies. The depletion of the nutritional “building blocks” of neurotransmitters increases the severity of the mood disorder. Ironically, the medication that seeks to alleviate the mood disorder leads to the nutrient deficiency that causes the disorder.

Nutrition can even influence disorders that derive from a genetic disposition. In this vein, Kaplan et al (2007) note that one-third of all genetic mutations derive from enzymes. Thus, supplying the appropriate enzymes often corrects the metabolic functioning that relates with the genetic malformation. Supplying a coenzyme, such as a vitamin, improves the enzyme’s activity and can correct the defect. For example, glutamate irregularities associate with mental retardation. Folate slows the development of glutamate and can affect the development of this intellectual deficit.

Vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients form the basis of optimal brain functioning. This literature review stresses the importance of nutrition in mental health. Such research is readily available to professional or nonprofessional alike. How is it, then, that medical practitioners, such as the nurse practitioner noted in the introduction, appear ignorant of the power of nutrition in mental health? Why don’t they seek a safer route that utilizes natural resources that humans have used for centuries? And why not provide what the body requires before chemically forcing the body to perform a function without provided prerequisite nutritional support?

Thank you for reading my first blog post. I anticipate your comments.

References

Kaplan, B., Crawford, S., Field, C., and Simpson, J. (2007).Vitamins, minerals, and mood. Psychological Bulletin, 133(5), 747–760. DOI: 10.1037/0033-2909.133.5.747.

Mark Tipton
Mark is married and has five children. He has been conscious about his eating habits since 1983. His interests include sports, exercise, nutrition, mental health, foreign languages, and most of all family life.