Why Diet Might Be a Big Deal for Mental Health

Why Diet Might Be a Big Deal for Mental Health

Mental health is super complicated. And many things, from your genetics to your environment, can affect it. But what you EAT might be having a big impact on your mental health, too.
Hosted by: Hank Green
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Sources:
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Image Sources:
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50 Comments

  1. DO YOU KNOW on December 4, 2021 at 2:03 pm

    Good video



  2. Super Galactic on December 4, 2021 at 2:03 pm

    2 words organic food it will definitely help you



  3. Molly Dayze on December 4, 2021 at 2:03 pm

    Garbage in, garbage out



  4. Spital Helles on December 4, 2021 at 2:04 pm

    I always drink sugar free energy drinks because they put so much vitamins in it😂



  5. Joshua Spurgeon on December 4, 2021 at 2:05 pm

    Wow



  6. Beth Kee on December 4, 2021 at 2:05 pm

    Since watching this video I started eating Omega-3 gummies and it’s made a huge difference. Thank you so much for your videos.



  7. Patrick McCord on December 4, 2021 at 2:06 pm

    Very low Carb diet is anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and prohormonal balance… Wonder how that affects mental health.



  8. SeventyFive on December 4, 2021 at 2:06 pm

    Simpler explanation is that you reversed causality:
    Depressed change their diet, and giving placebo helps depression.



  9. Chizuru94 on December 4, 2021 at 2:09 pm

    Sucks I had a bad inflammation in my oesophagus 2 years ago and became unable to eat solid food months later. They still weren’t able to determine an exact cause. Interesting video, still, as usual 🙂



  10. Cassie Oz on December 4, 2021 at 2:10 pm

    There’s an increased need for antioxidants where there is increased oxidative stress and can’t be advocated without looking at why there’s so much oxidative stress. Predictably the research seems aimed at finding a (pharmaceutical) solution rather than getting rid of processed crap, industrial seed oils and sugar



  11. Jess Stuart on December 4, 2021 at 2:10 pm

    I think I’m addicted to sweetened banana chips.



  12. Oswald Digestive Clinic on December 4, 2021 at 2:10 pm

    Thanks for sharing on this crucial topic! To add to this, Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause depression. Also, a person may eat lots of animal products (which contain B12), and still may not be adequately absorbing B12. Reasons for this malabsorption can include: history of having part of the intestine removed, having Crohn’s disease and associated intestinal inflammation, bacterial or yeast overgrowth, low stomach acid, taking meds that suppress stomach acid, and genetic predisposition!



  13. Nicolai Veliki on December 4, 2021 at 2:14 pm

    Just being physically healthy can also improve mental health. So, healthy food mediately improves mental health



  14. Emily Janet on December 4, 2021 at 2:15 pm

    Here’s the thing I want to know: what’s the correlation vs causation for healthy diet and mental health as it relates to socioeconomic class? It’s all very well to say "diet high in fruit, veg, fish and whole grains are beneficial" but if you’re working 80h a week at minimum wage jobs, you’re not going to have the money for those foods nor the time to prepare them. Are there any studies that cover this?



  15. Doc on December 4, 2021 at 2:17 pm

    I love this kind of research. I’d like to think that one day a lot of mental illnesses could be almost eradicated



  16. endymion on December 4, 2021 at 2:18 pm

    I was pretty down and in a dark place. I got myself a multivitamins. Haven’t had a super down day since. Not saying it helped but the act of pursuing help may have triggered recovery , or it could be a form of a positive plausible effect.



  17. ClareMaary on December 4, 2021 at 2:20 pm

    I had suffered from severe depression and anxiety for over 10 years.
    I went from eating poorly and doing nothing, to making sure I consume all the nutrients and water I need to nourish my body daily, whist incorporating daily exercise and 3-4 high intensity workouts per week. It was a drastic change, but it was a necessary change in lifestyle.
    The mental shift was immense. It did not get rid of my anxiety completely, but it has changed my life.
    My mind is sharper, my body is stronger, I sleep like a champion, and because my brain is functioning at 60% more than before, I am able to work through the anxiety by challenging it.
    Personally, nutrition has been a huge factor in being able to live my life now.



  18. Ms T on December 4, 2021 at 2:22 pm

    Does anyone else experience violent thoughts and low mood when they eat too much junk food.



  19. Candyce Monroe on December 4, 2021 at 2:22 pm

    Do meta reviews have a way to make sure the same studies aren’t repeated in the data?



  20. Noerfi on December 4, 2021 at 2:24 pm

    What’s something where we don’t seem to ‘need more research’ that few people know about, but should



  21. Mi-Pan on December 4, 2021 at 2:24 pm

    The woman universe site of a distinguished women’s site interested in women’ s affairs in particular and family and children in general
    https://womanuniverse.net/ health,beauty,people, life



  22. Eduard Qualls on December 4, 2021 at 2:28 pm

    There are simply too many research studies (check PubMed) demonstrating how successful magnesium, zinc and chromium picolinate are in treating depression. The authors of this single study that Hank/his producers have decided to publicize need to explain why they decided their results are better than all these other researchers, as well as how they’ve decided to castigate all those of us that Mg, Zn and Cr-picolinate have definitely helped.
    By the way, a larger sample size in a single study does NOT guarantee better data or more valid conclusions.



  23. Rafa Guelfand on December 4, 2021 at 2:31 pm

    >Be me
    >Have fibro
    >Pain depresses me
    >Depression triggers pain



  24. Bighearted Gal on December 4, 2021 at 2:31 pm

    Could you look at whether or not there is a mental health component to having celiac and gluten sensitivity?



  25. QueenofSilence101 on December 4, 2021 at 2:31 pm

    As an autistic woman, I can say that sticking to a healthy diet definitely helps me. Especially if I can cut out added sugars and excessive carbs, that really helps keep my mind clear.

    Unfortunately, I’m a bonafide sugar addict, so doing that is easier said than done.
    But I try my best to eat healthy, and that’s what matters.



  26. Julia Gustepa on December 4, 2021 at 2:32 pm

    omega-3 indeed is making my depressed life better



  27. Jasmine Anastasia on December 4, 2021 at 2:33 pm

    YouTube did this on purpose. I’m convinced because I’m eating pizza.



  28. Moaning Truck Driver on December 4, 2021 at 2:33 pm

    Just done eat Cocaine or mdma



  29. Ginger Redshoes on December 4, 2021 at 2:39 pm

    Always look for intervening variables. People who have plenty of money are more likely to get a healthy diet. Poverty causes LOTS of negative mental health symptoms. Money does buy happiness, and good food.



  30. Psychwriteify on December 4, 2021 at 2:40 pm

    So a year ago I had awful mental health due to untreated and undiagnosed IBS. Then I got diagnosed, started a low FODMAP diet, and suddenly I was so much more stable.
    Permanent GI distress had become my new normal, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t going to have something resembling a normal human reaction to constant GI distress.



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  32. Jessica 🐟🐠🐡🦀 on December 4, 2021 at 2:41 pm

    I’m trying really hard to improve my mood. I eat the Mediterranean diet, probiotic foods, fish oil, multivitamin, vitamin D, and started doing light exercise.



  33. Taco on December 4, 2021 at 2:42 pm

    When I had depression I wasn’t properly nourishing my body. I think the correlation could also be because when you are mentally ill you are stressed and a good diet is not possible when you aren’t very functional. Is it an added cause or a symptom?



  34. oogachaka on December 4, 2021 at 2:43 pm

    You are what you eat.



  35. Constant Chaos on December 4, 2021 at 2:44 pm

    Might this also be linked with SAD? I know many people eat less fruit and naturally high anti-oxidant foods during the colder months so it kinda follows that it may be a thing



  36. HotMesstoHotMom OpenBook on December 4, 2021 at 2:45 pm

    What did folic acid say to methylfolate?

    You jealous MTHFR ?!?!?



  37. Zara Samuels on December 4, 2021 at 2:46 pm

    I do wonder weather cos you can’t be bothered to cook or eat proper meals wen your experiencing mental difficulties also leads being definition in vitamins and minerals.



  38. Some Guy on December 4, 2021 at 2:48 pm

    A Whole Food Plant Based diet is very anti-inflammatory.

    Plant based athletes use it to recover from hard exercise quicker.



  39. Hiro Kurobane on December 4, 2021 at 2:50 pm

    and here I am getting depressed over meals because it’s always been fish for a month already



  40. Mandi Powell on December 4, 2021 at 2:52 pm

    Waiting for the link in depression and spina bifida occult



  41. That Shane Guy on December 4, 2021 at 2:52 pm

    If it’s not alive it’s not going to give you life!

    The “mights, maybes, coulds…etc” drive me crazy sometime when talking about “health food” (pssst: which is actually normal food). I challenge anybody to eat proper for one month. Including proper water intake. Then for 1 month, eat nothing but processed foods. During these 8 weeks document your self value, self esteem, weight, sleep quality, alertness, mood, ability to deal with stressful situations, rashes, colds, infections… etc etc etc. I’m certain the outcome is obvious… where does all this… doubt? … come from towards normal, life giving foods?



  42. K Bilisoly on December 4, 2021 at 2:52 pm

    I had a genetics test done by my psychiatrist. I can’t process folate and needed a prescription supplement.



  43. Vishal Upadhyay on December 4, 2021 at 2:54 pm

    5:35 oh boy, pleasure is all mine. Thank you!



  44. Ameer Cruz on December 4, 2021 at 2:55 pm

    I feel like people with personality disorders are low in omega 3, vitamin D and Vitamin C. Tanning, orange juice and fish oil is amazing when combined together 😇😇😇. Spread the word.



  45. CFTE Global on December 4, 2021 at 2:55 pm

    All mental health problems are caused by severe calcium deficiency. This begins in the womb or in infancy. The human body can assimilate calcium only from fresh, natural, uncooked foods – especially leafy greens and grasses, wheatgrass. Artificial supplements do not work. The best way to get the calcium from greens is through green smoothies.

    Brain chemical imbalances have never been proved.

    One of the reasons why mental health problems generally develop or manifest in late adolescence is because of the body’s need for tremendous amounts of calcium due to the sudden spurt in physical growth.

    Calcium is needed for proper neurotransmitter function.

    It is also important to minimise chronic cellular inflammation by avoiding white sugar, refined carbs and oils and fats that increase cellular inflammation.

    Cellular inflammation prevents the absorption of nutrients – vitamins and minerals.



  46. Jawad Marji on December 4, 2021 at 2:57 pm

    Individual studies: So I think I’ve found something
    Meta-analyses: Hmmm
    Meta-reviews:

    sup



  47. Alex Force on December 4, 2021 at 2:57 pm

    Im not sure if the meta studies are the way to go when its about stuff like that. If someone have a depressive moods coz they lack b vitamins and you give them anti inflamatory fish oil, its like giving someone a medicine for a different sickenss they dont have and making the conslusion that this medicine is not working. It must be taylor made. Check what is missing, give it, observe if the mood improves.



  48. ThunderKnight on December 4, 2021 at 2:57 pm

    anyone wonder what happened to him he looks like a different person from all those years ago



  49. Whizper2me on December 4, 2021 at 2:57 pm

    There is a rare form of psychiatric disorder caused by an immune condition called MCAS which can present in similar ways to other psychotic disorders or severe anxiety or OCD and which is wholly treated with antihistamines, anti inflammatories, immunomodulatory therapies and dietary intervention plays a huge part in management of the condition. It is sometimes called Neuropsychiatric Mast Cell Activation Syndrome.

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26162709

    MCAS can devolve into life threatening anyphylaxis which may be worsened by treatment with conventional psychiatric drugs. Awareness is key. This condition is also known to be more common among those who have previously been diagnosed as Autistic.

    https://www.clinicaltherapeutics.com/article/S0149-2918(13)00182-3/fulltext



  50. Jay Peterson on December 4, 2021 at 2:58 pm

    Excellent episode.

    I wish that something like following had been said:

    In the same way that we divulge past experiences and thoughts to a therapist or psychologist, we ought to divulge the secrets of our blood nutrients to a biochemist when seeking help for mental illness.

    It won’t necessarily solve the problem, but it may give another window into the nature of the illness, opening up the range of potential interventions.

    Overall, I’m super pleased that this episode was created and released. Many people stand to alleviate a non-trivial amount of suffering through understanding and applying this.