Eat Your Way to a Better Mood: The Diet-Mental Health Connection

Let’s explore an eye-opening study from 2017 that explored how our diet might hold the key to improving our mood.

While we all know that staying active, eating well, and steering clear of unhealthy habits can benefit both body and mind, the big question is: can a balanced diet help with mental health conditions? This is exactly what the SMILES (Supporting the Modification of Lifestyle in Lowered Emotional States) trial set out to discover.

What was the big idea?

The SMILES trial was the first study [1] of its kind to ask a simple but powerful question: “If I improve my diet, will my mood improve?”  The results were very exciting!

Who was involved?

The study participants were from the community, all dealing with symptoms of depression and went through a thorough and careful selection process.  

Here’s how it worked

Participants were split into two groups. The control group engaged in "befriending" sessions, where they casually chatted about topics they enjoyed - no talk of emotions, mental health, or diet.

The second group teamed up with a dietitian to follow a brain-boosting Modified Mediterranean Diet, filled with fruits, veggies, whole grains, nuts, olive oil, and fish. They received personalised tips, like swapping ice cream for yoghurt with walnuts and honey.

After three months, both groups were reassessed, with follow-up calls six months later.

The big question: did the diet group see bigger improvements in their depression?

The results

The answer is YES! The results, published in BMC Medicine [1], showed that the group on the Mediterranean-inspired diet had a significantly greater reduction in depressive symptoms compared to the social support group. Even more impressive, a third of the diet group achieved remission from major depression!

These improvements weren’t linked to changes in physical activity or weight but were directly related to how much the participants improved their diet. The more they embraced the Mediterranean diet, the better their mental health outcomes. They also reviewed the economic factor and concluded that the Modified Mediterranean Diet was cheaper overall than a junk food diet.

Why does this matter?

This trial is a game-changer, offering the first solid evidence that diet could play a key role in treating depression, paving the way for more research in nutritional psychology. While many believe diet impacts mood, having scientific backing is essential.

Professor Jacka, co-director of the Food and Mood Centre, sees this as a big step forward in mental health treatment, and she's written a book and offers a course on it which I have completed and found fascinating (see further reading for links).

Since current therapies and medical interventions may only help about half of those with depression [2] and with a rising need for mental health services, particularly in the UK [3], exploring diet as a new, accessible option could be a major win. Plus, it could also help with other related preventable health issues like obesity and diabetes, often tied to depression.

What’s next?

This study opens up a whole new avenue in supporting treatment for depression, suggesting that we may one day see dieticians and nutritional support as a regular part of mental health care teams. It’s not solely about pills and therapy anymore - food might just become a powerful part of the prescription for better mental health.

This research gives hope that a few dietary changes could help brighten up our mental outlook and make a real difference for those struggling with depression.

Start making changes today!

Nutrition and diet is very personalised - and the way we respond to changes to diet can vary from each person. What works for one person might not for another. It’s important to note that if you have a current health condition before making any significant dietary changes it’s always recommended to speak with a medical professional.

By focussing on inclusion of the good stuff rather than exclusion we can look at ways to boost our nutrition with healthy, delicious foods we enjoy.

Following simple principles of adding the following to meals, for example, healthy fats such as avocados, nuts, seeds, fatty fish, extra virgin olive oil. Lots of colourful fruits and vegetables packed with polyphenols, fibre , vitamins and minerals, and probiotics like, fermented foods such as kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha, kefir etc.

Making the switch to wholemeal, wholegrain (increasing the fibre) for bread, pasta, flour, rice etc. Using olive oil as main fat to get the health benefits this oil is known to provide.

Adding veggies to every meal or having on the side. Using more herbs and spices in your dishes to increase diversity.

Thinking, if I buy it, I’ll consume it, stock your cupboards, fridges and freezers how you want to eat and think nourishing and diversity - setting yourself up for success

Your taste buds do change and you will notice less cravings for junk foods within a short space of time. As we can see with the SMILES trial study positive effects can be felt within a short space of time.

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Get curious

Take a look at the ingredient labels of the foods you eat on a regular basis and see how many ingredients there are. In the UK ingredients are listed in order of weight with the main ingredient first.

So, if you have sugar as the second or third ingredient in your usual bread you might want to shop around a bit. If the names are unpronounceable and you wouldn’t be able to recreate it in your own kitchen from the ingredients list, then chances are it’s ultra processed containing additives that can impact on long term health with links to high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.

Start today!

Email me If you’d like some help making improvements to your healthy eating habits 🌱🍎

or if you are an organisation who would like in house or online talks delivered to your employees, reach out for more information.

Further reading

[1] You can read more about the study here and the published research

Book: Brain Changer by Prof. Felice Jacka and Food Mood course

[2] Study: How Often Do Individuals with Major Depression Receive Minimally Adequate Treatment?

[3] MIND research: 40 per cent of all GP appointments about mental health (2018)

NOVA classification system for Ultra Processed Foods

Artwork by DebsDesignStudio www.debsdesignstudio.com