Diet Greatly Influences Women’s Mental Health: Study

For years, we have been listening that a healthy diet and a good lifestyle are important for a person’s overall physical well-being. Scientists are now exploring the influence of food intake on a person’s mental health.

A recent study at Binghamton University, US, has indicated different impacts of diet on the mental health of different sexes. The research reveals that women require a nutrient-rich diet to maintain good mental health than men.

Diet Impacts Emotional Women’s Well-Being

Nutrient deficiency among women is a common phenomenon. Lack of a proper diet not only impacts physical well-being, but also emotional and mental issues. The new study reveals that women can be emotionally distressed for not eating right.

It discloses that women's emotional well-being was impacted greatly when they consumed certain foods, as compared to men.

The Journal of Nutritional Neuroscience published the study. The researchers conducted an anonymous survey of 563 participants through social media. The participants comprised 48 per cent men and 52 per cent women.

They found that men are more likely to experience mental well-being until nutritional deficiencies arise. However, women are less likely to experience mental well-being. They need to follow a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle to achieve it.

Researcher’s Take

It may also highlight reports from previous studies that show women have greater risk for mental distress than men.

Lina Begdache, an assistant professor at Binghamton University, explained "The biggest takeaway is that women may need a larger spectrum of nutrients to support mood, compared to men."

These findings may explain the reason why women are twice more likely to be diagnosed with anxiety and depression and suffer from longer episodes, compared to men. Today's diet is high in energy but poor in key nutrients that support brain anatomy and functionality.”

Lina led the team to conduct the research. She said, “Evidence suggests that our ancestors' diet, which was a high-energy-nutrient-dense diet, contributed significantly to brain volumes and cognitive evolution of mankind.”

"Males and females had different physical and emotional responsibilities that may have necessitated different energy requirements and food preference. Thus, gender-based differential food and energy intake may explain the differential brain volumes and connectivity between females and males. Therefore, a potential mismatch is happening between our contemporary diet and the evolved human brain which is disturbing the normal functionality of certain systems in the brain." she concluded.

Picture Credit: NDTV

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Megha Thadani is an Intern with Shethepeople.tv