New
reports link mental ill-health to changing
diets As
new figures show that mental ill-health is costing the 2
The Feeding Minds campaign comprises two reports - Feeding
Minds: the impact of food on mental health has
been written for stakeholders within the mental health sector. Changing
Diets, Changing Minds: how food affects mental well-being and behaviour is
for stakeholders in
the food and farming sectors. This
unequal intake combined with a lack of vitamins and minerals is associated with
depression, concentration and memory problems. The
two charities assert that many nutrients can improve a person’s mental health,
and dietary changes may hold the key to combating specific mental health
problems including depression, schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder, and Alzheimer’s disease. REPORT
KEY FINDINGS Over
the last 60 years there has been a 34 per cent decline in People
in the Mental
health Some
foods damage the brain by releasing toxins or oxidants that harm healthy brain
cells. There are many more nutrients that serve the brain without deception or
damage, which can improve mood and mental well-being. A
balanced mood and feelings of well being can be protected by ensuring that a
diet provides adequate amounts of complex carbohydrates, essential fats, amino
acids, vitamins and minerals and water. Research
indicates that good nutritional intake may be linked to academic success. A
number of studies report that providing children with breakfast improves their
daily and long-term academic performance. Among
some young offenders, diets supplemented with vitamins, minerals
and essential fatty acids have resulted in significant and remarkable reductions
in anti-social behaviour. There
is growing evidence that diet plays an important contributory role in
specific mental health problems including Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
Disorder (ADHD), depression, schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease. The
presentation of depression in the The
incidence of schizophrenia is similar across the globe, although there
are differences in outcomes between countries. This implies that environmental
factors have some role in determining the duration and severity of symptoms, and
the role that diet has to play is attracting increasing scientific interest. Alzheimer’s
disease has become more common in the past fifty years and
is believed to be the result of a combination of factors, including the aging
population, genetics and environmental factors. Growing epidemiological evidence
suggests that diet may be one of those environmental factors with associations
being reported between the occurrence of Alzheimer’s and high saturated fat,
consumption, and low vitamin and mineral consumption. Complementary
mental health care services that focus on diet and nutrition
report promising results, particularly among those who experience ADHD and
depression. On the whole however, they are poorly funded and have received
insufficient research attention to draw firm conclusions. Women
report eating healthy foods, including fresh vegetables, fruit or fruit
juice and meals made from scratch, more often than men, who tend to eat more
takeaways and ready meals. Younger
people are more likely than older people to report daily mental health
problems, as are those in social class DE, those on a lower income, those who
are not in paid employment and those who are not married. Nearly
two thirds of those who do not report daily mental health problems
eat fresh fruit or fruit juice every day, compared with less than
half of those who do report daily mental health problems. This pattern is
similar for fresh vegetables and salad. Those
who report some level of mental health problem also eat fewer healthy
foods (fresh fruit and vegetables, organic foods and meals made from scratch)
and more unhealthy foods (chips and crisps, chocolate, ready meals and
takeaways). The
Feeding Minds campaign comprises two reports - Feeding
Minds: The
impact of food on mental health has
been written for stakeholders within the mental health sector. Changing
Diets, Changing
Minds: how food affects mental well-being and behaviour
has been
written for stakeholders in the food and farming sectors.
Both reports are free and available to download from www.mentalhealth.org.uk/feedingminds
and www.sustainweb.org A
Web Guide providing recipes and nutritional advice to help people manage
their mental well-being can be found at www.mentalhealth.org.uk/feedingminds To
sign a petition to campaign for the Government to incorporate the link
between diet and mental health into all food-related policy and practice,
visit www.mentalhealth.org.uk/feedingminds
For
media interviews, advance copies of the full reports, recipes and illustrations
of the brain, contact Fran Gorman or Laura Gibson on 0207803
1128 / 1130 or email fgorman@mhf.org.uk
/ lgibson@mhf.org.uk For
out of hours media enquiries, please contact Fran Gorman on 07967
586489 The
Mental Health Foundation is
the leading |
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