Should You Be Talking To Your Mental Health Provider About Your Diet?

It’s easy to roll your eyes when you hear about yet another study that links a certain food to good mental health. After all, conditions like depression and anxiety are complicated, and it seems unfair to suggest that adding a certain ingredient to your day will magically make everything feel better. But, while doctors agree that the road to good mental health isn’t as simple as making a single dietary tweak, they also stress that there’s a role for eating to support your brain health. 

“What we eat not only fuels our body, but also directly impacts our brain and mental well-being,” says Amir Afkhami, MD, PhD, professor and vice chair of the George Washington University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the School of Medicine & Health Sciences. 

Peter Economou, PhD, an assistant professor in the Department of Applied Psychology at Rutgers University, agrees. “To me, diet is a part of mental health treatment,” he says. “Wellness and well-being is all integrative. That’s why I’m always working with dietitians.” Here’s why mental healthcare providers are talking to their patients more about food lately 

How are the gut and brain connected?

You’ve probably heard of the gut-brain axis before, but may be fuzzy on the details. Also known as the gut-brain connection, this is a term used to describe the network between your gastrointestinal tract and central nervous system. 

“The gut and brain communicate through the nervous, immune, and endocrine systems,” says Shannel Kassis Elhelou, PsyD, a neuropsychologist at Pacific Neuroscience Institute’s Brain Wellness and Lifestyle Programs at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA. “This connection influences mood, cognition, and overall mental health.” 

The gut microbiome, which is the collection of microbes that live in your gastrointestinal tract, plays a major role in producing neurotransmitters (like serotonin and dopamine), Elhelou says. Serotonin affects well-being and happiness, and lower levels of the neurotransmitter are associated with depression and anxiety, explains Hillary Ammon, PsyD, a clinical psychologist at the Center for Anxiety & Women's Emotional Wellness. Dopamine is linked with feelings of reward and pleasure. 

The gut-brain axis goes both ways—your brain “talks” to your gut, and vice versa, Ammon says. As a result, when one is off, the other can be impacted, too. That explains why you might get diarrhea when you’re stressed out or feel happy when you have your favorite dinner.

But regular imbalances in the gut-brain connection can raise your risk of dealing with more serious issues than having to run to the bathroom. “When the gut is imbalanced by things like stress, poor diet, and antibiotic use, it disrupts the production of neurotransmitters dopamine, serotonin, and GABA, which increases the risk of mental health concerns like anxiety and depression,” says Emily Guarnotta, PsyD, a psychologist and co-founder of Phoenix Health. 

Still, while research has established that the gut-brain axis *is* a thing, the exact way this works isn’t completely understood, says Jed Magen, DO, chair of the Department of Psychiatry at Michigan State University. 

So, how does what you eat impact your mental health?

Again, the research into this is ongoing, but there are a few things to consider. One is that foods that can increase inflammation in the body, like ultra-processed products and red meat, may also impact the brain. “Creating inflammation in the body is generally not a good idea,” Magen says. At the same time, Magen stresses that any foods that can help to reduce inflammation in the body are likely to be helpful for your mental health. 

Jaime Zuckerman, PhD, a licensed clinical psychologist based in Pennsylvania, agrees. “Having a lot of red meat, eating foods that are high in sugar—all of that can lead to increased inflammation and higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the body,” she says. “That disrupts the gut-brain connection.”

Your diet can also impact how you feel physically—and that can influence your mood, causing you to continue to eat poorly, Economou says. “When people don’t feel well, they tend to gravitate toward sugar, alcohol—toxins, if you will,” he says. “That stuff might give you some excitement or endorphins, but they’re not great for you or your mental health.” These foods can also make you feel low-energy or off, and even lead to weight gain, which can also influence your mood, he says. 

The role between diet and mental health can be indirect, too, Zuckerman says. If you have a goal of working out regularly to support your mental health, but your diet is leaving you feeling sluggish and tired, that can make it hard to actually get to the gym, she points out. “It can become this vicious cycle, where you’re not eating well or exercising, and you feel bad as a result,” she says. 

What do mental health providers recommend? 

Mental health providers generally agree that a diet that’s good for your body is also helpful for your brain. “A balanced diet rich in nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and vitamins, such as those found in fish, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, supports brain function and reduces inflammation,” Afkhami says. 

Zuckerman also recommends that her patients have “lots of fiber,” focusing on a mix of fruits and vegetables. She suggests having plenty of lean proteins, like chicken and fish, along with nuts, too. 

Research has also linked certain foods and diets to a lowered risk of serious mental health conditions. The latest study is from Harvard researchers: It found that having an orange a day could lower your risk of depression by up to 20 percent. But there are also studies that linked walnuts with lowered feelings of depression and stress, and others that found following a  Mediterranean diet could cause less symptoms of depression. 

Elhelou recommends that her patients follow a general Mediterranean diet-style meal plan. “It emphasizes whole, nutrient-dense foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean proteins, healthy fats, and foods rich in omega-3s, all of which support gut and brain function,” she says. “The goal isn’t to follow it perfectly, but to aim for sustainable, small, consistent changes, which can benefit mental and cognitive health.”

While mental health providers agree that a good diet is important, many will refer patients to a dietitian when it comes to nutritional details. “I usually say if it’s in a bag or on a shelf, it’s not going to be as good for you,” Economou says. “But I also recommend that they see the dietitian down the hallway for specifics.”

Jessica Cording, RD, author of The Little Book of Game Changers, says she works closely with several mental health providers. “I always make sure to talk to patients about blood sugar balance,” she says. “That means making sure that a person has protein, fat, and fiber throughout the day.” This helps lower the risk of blood sugar crashes, which can make you feel irritable, Cording explains. While it’s unlikely to cure depression or anxiety, she points out that good blood sugar management will help put you in a better place to deal with symptoms of those conditions than if you were struggling with blood sugar crashes on top of them. 

Cording also tries to make sure that patients have good sources of vitamin B12, vitamin D, and omega-3 fatty acids in their diet. “These are all things that are important for mental health,” she says. At the same time, she usually suggests limiting alcohol and caffeine, and making sure there is plenty of protein in the mix. “If someone isn’t eating enough protein, they may be hungry throughout the day—that can fuel symptoms of anxiety or depression,” she says. 

The limits to eating well for good mental health

While the idea that eating an orange will help turn your mental health around sounds great in theory, doctors say the role of diet in mental health is more involved than that. “I am a big believer that there is balance in all things, including wellness,” Ammon says. “A healthy diet is sometimes just part of the equation for improved mental health.”

Zuckerman agrees. “Diet is not a replacement for any type of psychopharmacological treatment or behavioral therapy,” she says. “It’s to be used in addition to what your doctor recommends.” 

How to come up with a balanced plan for your mental health

The best treatment plan is one that works for you. That’s why Economou says it’s so important to connect with a healthcare provider you trust, and to create a plan together. But, he also recommends being patient with the process, including tweaks to your diet. “It’s a lot of work to feel good, but you have to put in the time in order to get that outcome,” Economou says. 

If you already have a mental health provider you like and diet hasn’t come up yet, Economou recommends asking if there’s anything you can do differently. But, overall, experts agree that eating well will support your body—and your mind. “We need a lot more research into this, but that gut-brain axis is really important,” Magen says.