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Thursday, February 13, 2025

KidsMatter 2 Us – The brain-body connection: How diet impacts teen mental health

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You already know “You are what you eat,” but did you know that you also “feel what you eat?” When helping adolescents deal with anxiety, depression, or other mental health disorders, a first step toward positive change is improved nutrition.

Here are some well-sourced ways diet physiologically affects mental health:

Vitamin B9: Vitamin B9 is essential to mental and physical wellness. Natural B9 (folate) is found in leafy green vegetables, nuts, beans, and other whole foods, but many rely on folic acid (the synthetic form of folate) supplements to maintain adequate B9 levels. Some people have a gene variant (MTHFR) that does not allow the body to adequately process folic acid which can lead to undetected B9 deficiencies and result in depression or bipolar disorder.

Vitamin D: A Vitamin D deficiency contributes to anxiety, depression, and other psychosocial disorders; and its deficiency symptoms include moodiness, including feeling sad or hopeless, fatigue, loss of interest in activities, and even suicidal thoughts. Vitamin D is acquired through sun exposure, and by eating fatty fish, like salmon, eggs, cheese, and many fortified foods.

Sugar: Too much sugar raises the level of inflammation in the body, which affects mental health, leading to depression and heightened perceptions of pain. High amounts of sugar are found not only in sweets, but in all processed foods, which due to their convenience, are a big part of many diets. Eating whole foods, particularly fruits and vegetables, can break this addiction and improve mental health.

Food and mood are always linked. Poor nutrition leads to low energy and a bad mood, which can lead to choosing something sweet as a “pick-me-up” – a cycle that actually makes bad feelings worse.

Start today, one choice at a time, to feed mind and body the fuel it needs to feel its best!

For more information, consult your doctor.

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Nina Menis
Nina Menis
Nina M. Menis serves as CEO & Executive Director of KidsMatter. Nina grew up in Naperville and enjoyed raising a family in Naperville. Nina has worked in advancement for both public and private P-20 educational institutions and area nonprofits for more than 30 years. Contact Nina (pronounced nine-eh) at nina@kidsmatter2us.org or (630) 864-3974.
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