How nutritional deficiency affects mental health? - NL-054
It is not easy to identify underlying factors that may trigger or aggravate mental health issues. It could be a combination of things ranging from stressful events, psychological distress, childhood trauma, substance abuse, and genetics. Are nutritional deficiencies and mental health linked? A healthy, well balanced diet not only supports and maintains your physical health but keeps your mood and mental health in top shape too. A variety of vitamins and minerals are important for healthy brain function and deficiency in these micronutrients can affect your mood, behaviour and ability to cope with stress that can manifest in symptoms such as irritability, mood swings, stress, brain fog and poor focus. Let's look at some common vitamins and minerals required for healthy brain and cognitive function.
Vitamin B complex: All B vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9 and B12) play a very important role in maintaining the health of your nervous system. Some B vitamins help in the production of neurotransmitters that regulate mood, memory, cellular signalling, and overall healthy brain functions. A deficiency in B vitamins can cause depression, anxiety, mental fog and cognitive impairment. Studies show that low levels of vitamin B12 can cause cognitive decline and increases the risk of developing neuropsychiatric symptoms such as depression, anxiety, irritability, memory loss and dementia.
Magnesium: It is one of the most important minerals for your nervous system and overall health. Magnesium is responsible for facilitating hundreds of biochemical reactions that keep your body healthy and functioning well. It is required for energy production, nerve transmission and neuromuscular transmission. What makes magnesium critical for brain health? Magnesium calms your nervous system, reduces stress, and helps in the production of brain chemicals that regulate mood, sleep and stress. Magnesium deficiency can present symptoms such as migraines, twitches, mood swings, depression, anxiety and sleeping issues.
Vitamin D: You need healthy amounts of Vitamin D to maintain bone mineral density and healthy immunity. But vitamin D is also important for your mental health and brain functions. Studies show that vitamin D deficiency may increase the risk of depression, poor focus and reduced cognitive abilities. In addition to physical symptoms such as excessive fatigue, lethargy, muscle pain and joint pain, chronic vitamin D deficiency also causes mental symptoms of brain fog, memory loss, difficulty sleeping and mood swings. Studies show that healthy amounts of Vitamin D can reduce the risk of mental health disorders. Vitamin D is also involved in regulating neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin that control mood.
References:
- Sangle et al. Vitamin B12 Supplementation: Preventing Onset and Improving Prognosis of Depression. Cureus. 2020
- Sahu et al. Neuropsychiatric manifestations in vitamin B12 deficiency. Vitam Horm. 2022
- Kirkland et al. The Role of Magnesium in Neurological Disorders. Nutrients. 2018
- Guzek et al. Association between Vitamin D Supplementation and Mental Health in Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review. J Clin Med. 2021