Nutritional Intervention to Manage Mental Issues

Abstract

The healthy status of a human being includes mental health along with their physical development. However, all over the world, millions of people are victims of various mental health disorders in any form, namely depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, schizophrenia, etc. About 301 million people globally are suffering from some form of mental disorder. In the US, the number of victims of mental illness is increasing, and psychotherapy or applied psycho-pharmacotherapy may not always be effective in addressing these issues. Therefore, other therapeutic and/or management interventions are receiving increasing attention to alleviate these problems. Nowadays, research on the ef fects of nutrition on human mental health has increased. This review aims to examine experimental evidence to determine whether and how nutrition affects human mental health, both under normal and abnormal conditions. It was revealed from this review that nutrients not only supply energy to the body but also to the brain, balance neurotransmitter levels, and remove toxic oxidants and inflammatory materials from it. Furthermore, among the different dietary patterns, the Mediterranean diet and/or a mixed diet of Mediterranean and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension support brain health and help manage mental disorders.