Food and Mood: How Your Diet Impacts Your Feelings

How does food affect how you feel?

Diet ensures that our bodies get the right amount of the chemicals we need to function effectively. We are taught about the importance of calcium for our bones as children and vitamin C for building up our immune system, but the awareness of the interrelation of our guts and our minds is relatively new. 

It was historically believed that our physiology and our psychology were separate entities, however more recent medical studies have demonstrated that the two are considerably more interconnected than first thought. 

The vagus nerve is one of the main nerves in the body and connects the brain and the digestive system. As many as 95% of the nerves’ fibres point from the gut to the brain. While we still don’t know a lot about how communications travel via this nerve, studies have seen that different frequencies of stimulation to the nerve can produce feelings of calm and well-being and conversely feelings of stress and anxiety. The implication of this is that our gut and what we put into it have a lot to say about how we feel. 

Nutrient deficiencies

A lack of essential vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients can negatively impact your mood. For example, deficiencies in B vitamins, vitamin D, iron, and magnesium have all been linked to symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Ensuring that your diet provides the right quantities of essential vitamins and minerals is one of the best and easiest ways that you can create a protective ‘base’ to our emotional gut-mind relation. For those who suffer from low mood, fatigue, anxiety or depression, the first step to improving mental wellbeing is to make sure you are consuming enough and not too much of vital nutrients.

Blood sugar levels

Fluctuations in blood sugar can significantly affect mood. Refined carbohydrates and sugary foods can cause blood sugar spikes followed by crashes, leading to irritability, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating. Opting for complex carbohydrates, fibre, and healthy fats helps maintain steady blood sugar levels and promotes better mood regulation.

In fast-paced working environments and with the bustle of family life, it can be easy to fall back on quick-fix foods that are high in the carbs and sugars that stimulate and energise us in the short term. However, the downside for energy levels and consequently mood is the imminent crash that follows. Optimising diet to prioritise slow-release foods is a great way to stay powered without the risk of crashing physically and emotionally. 

Gut microbiome

The trillions of bacteria living in your gut (gut microbiome) play a crucial role in mood regulation. These bacteria produce neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, and GABA, which influence mood, sleep, and stress response

Serotonin

Serotonin helps regulate mood, appetite, and sleep. The gut microbiome significantly contributes to serotonin production, with as much as 95% of the body's serotonin located in the gastrointestinal tract.

Dopamine

Associated with pleasure, motivation, and reward, 50% of our dopamine is synthesised in the gut, and our gut bacteria has an impact on additional peripheral dopamine (other parts of the body where dopamine is produced). 

GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid)

This neurotransmitter promotes calmness and relaxation. A healthy gut microbiome can support GABA production.

Eating a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains nourishes these good gut bacteria and could improve mood as a result.

Take control of your diet, take control of your mood

While we may not fully understand the relationship between our diet and the way that we feel, the evidence overwhelmingly suggests that eating with our well-being in mind is no waste of time. Healthy and nutritionally complete diets can leave us with a heightened mood, lower stress levels and improve our sleep and energy levels too. 

Ensuring your diet gives you the right amount of vitamins and minerals from a variety of food groups sets your body to function better at a physical and mental capacity. It’s also vital that you fuel your body sufficiently. Adults require around 2000 calories a day, which is then adjusted depending on your lifestyle, exercise habits and weight-related goals. For weight loss, for instance, you might increase your exercise significantly or reduce your calorific intake to, for example, 1700 calories. It's important when adjusting your calorie intake to maintain a healthy consumption of essential vitamins and minerals, and prioritise protein, healthy fats, and whole foods.

Weight loss support from Pharmacy2U

For those already on their weight loss journey or just getting started, we have a range of resources you can tap into to learn more about how to fuel yourself correctly, how to exercise effectively and how to prioritise your health. 

If you are over a certain BMI, you could meet the criteria for weight loss medication. Start with our online consultation form and our registered health care professionals will assess your case. Should you be prescribed a weight loss medication via the online doctor at Pharmacy2U such as Mounjaro, Wegovy, Saxenda, Mysimba or Orlistat,we will communicate your prescription with your GP to ensure your records remain complete.