How food and diet affect moods and behaviour

Food has a significant impact on your mood and behaviour due to its influence on brain chemistry, energy levels, and overall physical health.

Hormone levels and mood

Did you know our hormone levels can fluctuate and change over the years, and how this can bring both blissful feelings and despair?

A sensible response to signs that our hormones are out of balance is to find out what is missing and offer bio-identical replacements. Our hormones are sensitive to the changes that come with age and to the stresses that are a normal part of living. But there is something else that may have a major impact on how your hormones behave - what you eat.

Given the huge range of bodily functions affected by hormones, including blood sugar balance, blood pressure, energy levels, kidney function, sleep patterns and appetite, you might think they would be one of the first things to check when you are complaining of typical symptoms of a hormone problem. These can include fatigue, headaches, digestive complaints, poor sleeping, easy weight gain, increased signs of ageing, depression, anxiety and decreased sexual desire.

There isn't a diet for everyone

The idea that there is one diet that fits everyone is not really plausible any more. Something as simple as the amount your blood sugar level is raised by eating a carbohydrate can vary enormously. One person can have blood sugar spikes after a bowl of pasta but sees no rise with grapes; another can have the opposite response to the same foods. This can have a knock-on effect on hormones because they are affected by how many carbs you are eating. As for our vastly complicated microbiome - the three-pound colony of trillions of bacteria in our gut - the way that responds to diet seems to be equally individual.

Get enough, but not too much, protein

Protein is the other food group that is vital for a favourable hormone balance, which is why protein-rich foods as well as supplements of the amino acids that build proteins are sometimes known as mood foods. They can provide the building blocks for the neurotransmitters. There, such as serotonin and dopamine, which trigger moods and emotional responses.

The amino acid tryptophan is an example. It's found in foods such as nuts, red meat, fish, beans and eggs, and is used by the body to make feel-good serotonin, which can be switched on by oestrogen. It can also be taken as a supplement, often with another amino acid. The most familiar sources of the essential amino acids are the proteins fund in organic meats, cheese, eggs, fish, poultry and game, most of them are available in supplement form too. 

Eating to feed the brain is a good idea

The idea that food can play a role in treating mental disorders seems like common sense: if your brain is deprived of the right nutrition, it won't function properly. But it's only recently that this has been taken up by psychiatrists. There is a flourishing new field of nutritional psychiatry exploring the many correlations between the way we feel, the way we behave and the way we eat. 

Overall, a balanced diet rich in whole foods like fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats can help maintain good mental health and promote a positive mood. Conversely, a diet high in processed foods, sugar, and unhealthy fats can lead to mood instability and other mental health issues.