Our whole philosophy is centred around The Story of Health. The essence of our approach is that if we are to deal with the underlying causes that produce the symptoms we spend so much time chasing, we have to meet the needs of the mind, body, spirit and environment. Increasingly science in its numerous guises is recognising that mental unwellness is the byproduct of a range of psycho-social, emotional, biological, environmental, and spiritual factors and as a consequence if we are striving for sustainable solutions, then we need to draw from a variety of methodologies and disciplines.
In this piece of research the latest evidence from a variety of researchers exploring nutritional psychiatry, is edging us ever closer to a synergistic strategy. One where all the elements of what it means to be human are taken into account.
ABSTRACT
Mental illness, including depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder, accounts for a significant proportion of global disability and poses a substantial social, economic and heath burden. Treatment is presently dominated by pharmacotherapy, such as antidepressants, and psychotherapy, such as cognitive behavioural therapy; however, such treatments avert less than half of the disease burden, suggesting that additional strategies are needed to prevent and treat mental disorders. There are now consistent mechanistic, observational and interventional data to suggest diet quality may be a modifiable risk factor for mental illness.
This review provides an overview of the nutritional psychiatry field. It includes a discussion of the neurobiological mechanisms likely modulated by diet, the use of dietary and nutraceutical interventions in mental disorders, and recommendations for further research. Potential biological pathways related to mental disorders include inflammation, oxidative stress, the gut microbiome, epigenetic modifications and neuroplasticity. Consistent epidemiological evidence, particularly for depression, suggests an association between measures of diet quality and mental health, across multiple populations and age groups; these do not appear to be explained by other demographic, lifestyle factors or reverse causality. Our recently published intervention trial provides preliminary clinical evidence that dietary interventions in clinically diagnosed populations are feasible and can provide significant clinical benefit.
Furthermore, nutraceuticals including n-3 fatty acids, folate, S-adenosylmethionine, N-acetyl cysteine and probiotics, among others, are promising avenues for future research. Continued research is now required to investigate the efficacy of intervention studies in large cohorts and within clinically relevant populations, particularly in patients with schizophrenia, bipolar and anxiety disorders.
To explore further, click the link: nutritional-psychiatry-the-present-state-of-the-evidence