Diet linked to teen mental health problems

[kihira]

Interesting study

Diet linked to teen mental health problems | News.com.au

"A study of 3000 adolescents has found that those who had poor diets filled with junk and processed foods were more likely to suffer mental health problems such as depression and anxiety.

While other studies have shown links between diet quality and mental health disorders in adults, the new research is the first to demonstrate the link in adolescents."

 

[MaliceInWickedland]

Interesting indeed. Thank God I went organic...
Thanks for sharing

 

[Phoenixx]

Interesting indeed. Thank God I went organic...
Thanks for sharing

^ Except for those Oreos...

Yeah I'm glad I've gone organic too. I mean, I don't have much of a choice, but still, I feel loads better eating nice healthy foods than the prepackaged junk.

 

[MikeyC]

That sounds about right. Whenever I eat better (which isn't now), I feel better mentally within 2-3 days, and I have more energy by the end of the week. Unfortunately, I can never keep it up and it can only take one negative situation to occur and I can fall right back down again.

 

[EscapeArtist]

Yep. Lots of dietary factors.. very important. Additives, allergies, excitotoxins and neurotoxins... and yadda yadda!! Thanks for posting. Recently I learned about aspratame and splenda by reading a book on them. Do not use these things people!!! !!!


"What is Aspartame?

In the body, this synthetic chemical compound breaks down into methanol (10 percent), aspartate (40 percent), and phenylalanine (50 percent).

Aspartate and phenylalanine alike act as neurotransmitters and as precursors to other neurotransmitters. Consumption of aspartame can cause big spikes in aspartate levels, which are known to damage brain cells.

Phenylalanine can cross the blood–brain barrier and cause large changes in the production of key neurotransmitters.

Previous studies have found that aspartame can induce neurological and behavioral disturbances in some people.These effects appear related to changes in brain concentrations of amino acids, neurotransmitters, and hormones such as norepinephrine, epinephrine and dopamine."
A lot more information here http://www.alternativedepressiontherapy.com/aspartame.html

They were going to do a study on asparatame/splenda and whether or not it adversely affects people with behavioral problems (like depression), but after a few weeks into the study nearly all of the people had dropped out because the results had become too dramatic!

 

[EscapeArtist]

That sounds about right. Whenever I eat better (which isn't now), I feel better mentally within 2-3 days, and I have more energy by the end of the week. Unfortunately, I can never keep it up and it can only take one negative situation to occur and I can fall right back down again.

Good for you for pulling it together, keep on getting up! I'm in the same battle. Clean up diet, feel so much better (don't even need this site), fall down... Come back to the site.... Lol. But you fall down less and less as the bad food becomes less appealing. Most of the people that come back here with success stories have some healthy diet involved, it's a worthy battle

 

[Lea]

Healthy diet is better, I think I eat healthy now, mostly fruits, no junk, no sugar, I lost about 5 kg but I don´t feel it does much for me mentally, as my head still feels like crap. Also I was very tired recently.. But it´s a bit better today. Maybe it will go away with time. I hope I don´t go back to eating junk, it´s so unnecessary spending money for that. The industry knows the more sugar or taste enhancers you eat, the more you crave, and it´s true. When you give it up and eat natural things, the cravings will disappear.

 

[Feathers]

Makes total sense, nutrition is very important - for me too..

There were studies with prisoners and delinquents too, lots more aggression/problems/conflicts errupted when on a bad diet...

Healthy diet is better, I think I eat healthy now, mostly fruits, no junk, no sugar, I lost about 5 kg but I don´t feel it does much for me mentally, as my head still feels like crap. Also I was very tired recently.. But it´s a bit better today. Maybe it will go away with time. I hope I don´t go back to eating junk, it´s so unnecessary spending money for that. The industry knows the more sugar or taste enhancers you eat, the more you crave, and it´s true. When you give it up and eat natural things, the cravings will disappear.

Lea, hope you're eating other things too: your body needs proteins and vegetables etc. Just fruit can also have too much sugar and too much of some vitamins (eg C vitamin) and too little other good minerals (like magnesium, calcium...) which are also really important - a friend had big problems from an almost 'fruit only' diet... now she eats other stuff too and got better...
I found that too much fruit can give me moodswings too, especially if it's sweet: 'sugar high' and then 'low'... Fructose can make blood sugar go 'yo yo' too...

The article also says they recommend less fruit than veggies, and some lean meat... and that brain proteins are important... you need a source of proteins for the brain proteins to form proper, I would think

Dr Jacka said parents could protect children against mental health problems by following national guidelines for eating two serves of fruit and five serves of vegetables a day, as well as sticking to wholegrains and lean meats while avoiding junk food.

Where diet fits in is through its influence on genes, the immune system and the main brain proteins linked to mental health problems

It's good to stay away from processed 'junk', it's good to learn how to combine foods even when you go 'all natural' too..

 

[MikeyC]

Good for you for pulling it together, keep on getting up! I'm in the same battle. Clean up diet, feel so much better (don't even need this site), fall down... Come back to the site.... Lol. But you fall down less and less as the bad food becomes less appealing. Most of the people that come back here with success stories have some healthy diet involved, it's a worthy battle

Thanks! I will definitely get back into it, but I'm out of the mindset right now, unfortunately. When I do, I'll be fit as a fiddle!