Last month, Polish researchers published an article in Psychiatria Polska in which they investigated irrational eating habits of people with depression and how that can affect them.
“[Patients] suffering from depression are more likely to change eating behaviours associated with changes in appetite and food preferences, including avoiding consumption of certain groups of products and dishes. These changes may result in serious deficiencies of certain nutrients, particularly vitamins and minerals. Even moderate deficiencies, especially if they persist for a long time, have adverse effects on human health, including the nervous system.”
The researchers studied the diets of a group of 69 people of varying ages. What they noticed was that among the participants, diets seemed to be deficient in specific vitamins, including vitamins C, D, E, and folate. In addition, levels of calcium, iodine, magnesium, and potassium were too low.
The study concluded that “potential preventive supplementation with vitamins and minerals should be considered on [an] individual basis depending on nutritional deficiencies. Additionally, patients reporting changes in dietary habits should receive nutritional instructions concerning proper combining of groups of food products to ensure the optimum supply of vitamins and minerals.”
This research confirms that established by a growing body of research: what we eat can play a critical role in how our brain functions.