Maintaining good mental health can sometimes feel challenging, but it turns out one piece of the puzzle is deceptively simple — what’s on your plate.

“Nutrition and mental health is this connection that people have actually been writing about for centuries,” Dr. Mary Scourboutakos, who goes by Dr. Sco., told Dr. Brian Goldman, host of CBC’s The Dose.

“But only now are we getting this evidence to accumulate to support this connection,” said Scourboutakos, a family doctor who also has a PhD in nutrition.

Research shows that the types of microbes found in our gut, or gastrointestinal tract, could have a direct impact on our mood.

And experts say that changing your diet is one of the best ways to influence those microbes, which could in turn help people suffering from mental illness.

“It’s a question of augmenting a tool that we’re already using, which is very encouraging,” said Scourboutakos.

In one Canadian study, researchers were able to show that when 10- and 11-year-olds met recommendations for diet, as well as sleep, physical activity and screen time, they were less likely to need mental health interventions as adolescents.

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CBC News
September 23, 2023