Supporting world mental health day
WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY 10th OCTOBER 2018
WHY NUTRITIONAL PSYCHIATRY IS THE FUTURE OF MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT
A lack of essential nutrients is known to contribute to the onset of poor mental health in people suffering from anxiety and depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and ADHD. Nutritional psychiatry is a growing discipline that focuses on the use of food and supplements to provide these essential nutrients as part of an integrated or alternative treatment for the mental health disorders.
Nutritional approaches for these debilitating conditions are not widely accepted by mainstream medicine. Treatment options tend to be limited to the recommendation of talking therapies and antidepressants.
Antidepressant use has more than doubled in recent years. In particular, antidepressant use has increased in treating anxiety and depression in children.
Many people do not eat enough nutrients that are essential for good brain health. This is due the increase in pre-prepared fast foods and the ever-increasing consumption of sugary food and drink, . The link between poor mental health and nutritional deficiencies has long been recognised by nutritional therapists working in the complementary health sector. However, psychiatrists are only now beginning to become increasing aware of using nutritional approaches. They are wanting more support to fund research into this field of treatment.
Research
Recent research and, in particular the work done by Dr Dale Bredesen and his book The End of Alzheimer’s has demonstrated that certain supplements such as zinc, magnesium, omega 3, and vitamins B and D3 can help improve people’s mood, relieve anxiety and depression and improve the mental capacity of people with Alzheimer’s. Omega three fatty acids are also an important for supporting brain health. Omega3 deficiency is also associated with low mood, cognitive decline and poor comprehension. The role of probiotics, the beneficial live bacteria in your digestive system, may also contribute to improving mental health.
Sharon Sinclair Dip ION, mBANT
Nutritional Therapist for Chanctonbury Healthcare