Diet and Mental Health: Can What You Eat Affect How You Feel?

It’s well-established that diet plays a fundamental role in health and wellbeing.

But as time goes on, we’re learning how diet plays in a role in social, emotional, and mental health specifically.

Though there’s still much to uncover about the underlying relationship between diet and mental health, we have compelling evidence that suggests the two are in fact very closely related (1Trusted Source, 2Trusted Source).

This article is your guide to understanding how your diet may affect your mental health and wellbeing.

We’ll cover what we know so far about the relationship between diet and mental health, look at specific dietary patterns that may improve mental health, and explore simple steps you can take to support a healthy mental state.

A person smiles while preparing a meal in their kitchen. — Ana Luz Crespi/Stocksy United

A note on accessing professional support

Diet changes alone may not be enough to properly treat any conditions. If you’re experiencing symptoms of a mental health condition, feel empowered to seek additional support.

If you need to talk to someone right away, help is available:

Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
Text “HOME” to the Crisis Text Line at 741741.
If you’re living with a substance use disorder, call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 800-662-4357.
If you’re a young person of color, text STEVE to 741741.
Call the Trans Lifeline Hotline at 877-565-8860 (US) or 877-330-6366 (Canada).
Not in the U.S.? Find a helpline in your country with Befrienders Worldwide.

If you’re not currently in crisis but you’re considering working with a mental health professional, these resources may be able to help you get started:

Diet and mental health: Is there a link?

Historically, mental health conditions have been treated with psychiatric therapies like counseling, medication, and sometimes hospitalization.

Today, an emerging field called nutritional psychiatry emphasizes how diet and nutrition affect the way people feel mentally. It aims to support treatment of mental health conditions with diet and lifestyle changes (2Trusted Source).

It’s something we may have taken for granted in the past, but it makes perfect sense that the foods we eat have just as much effect on our brains as they do on the rest of our bodies.

One reason our food choices affect our brains so strongly is that our gastrointestinal system — or what’s more commonly referred to as “the gut” — is actually very closely connected to the brain.

The gut is home to trillions of living microbes that have many functions in the body, such as synthesizing neurotransmitters that send chemical messages to the brain to regulate sleep, pain, appetite, mood, and emotion.

In fact, there’s such an intricate network of interactions between the two that the gut has been nicknamed the “second brain.” Formally, the relationship between the two is called the gut-brain connection or gut-brain axis (3Trusted Source, 4Trusted Source, 5Trusted Source).

We still have more to learn, but research suggests that the foods we eat influence the health of gut microbe colonies, which subsequently influences our brains and, thus, our mental and emotional health (6Trusted Source, 7Trusted Source, 8Trusted Source, 9Trusted Source).

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Dietary patterns linked with improved mental health

There is some evidence that certain dietary patterns may help reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety, and mood in general.

For depression: The Mediterranean diet

In the past few years, multiple studies have observed links between dietary patterns, gut health, and the risk of depression (11Trusted Source, 12Trusted Source, 13Trusted Source, 14Trusted Source).

One study found that a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes and low in red and processed meats was associated with 10% lower odds of depressive symptoms (15Trusted Source).

At least two landmark studies directly measured the Mediterranean diet’s ability to reduce measurements of depression in experimental study groups with promising results (16Trusted Source, 17Trusted Source).

Not all studies on the topic found such striking results, though, and more human trials are still needed. Nevertheless, the early evidence is compelling (18Trusted Source, 19Trusted Source).

Some health agencies are even beginning to recommend a Mediterranean-like diet to support gut health and lower the risk of depression (20Trusted Source).

To follow a Mediterranean diet, increase your intake of (14Trusted Source, 21Trusted Source):

fruits
vegetables
fish
nuts
legumes
olive oil
dairy products

A Mediterranean diet limits (14Trusted Source, 21Trusted Source):

fried foods
processed meats
baked goods
sweetened beverages

Remember that choosing an eating pattern rooted in the principles of the Mediterranean diet doesn’t have to mean giving up your cultural foods.

In fact, it’s important that your eating habits incorporate foods that are easy to access locally and meaningful to you culturally or personally.

For example, learn more about giving the Mediterranean diet a Caribbean twist here.

For stress and anxiety: Limit alcohol, caffeine, and sugary foods

There are a few substances in particular that might exacerbate anxiety symptoms: alcohol, caffeine, and added sugars (22Trusted Source, 23Trusted Source).

What’s more, research has observed correlations between anxiety and a high intake of saturated fat, low intake of fruit, and poor diet quality overall (24Trusted Source, 25Trusted Source, 26Trusted Source, 27Trusted Source).

If you notice you’re feeling particularly stressed or anxious, you may want to adjust your diet as part of your treatment plan. Consider reducing your intake of alcohol, caffeine, and added sugars.

Instead, choose more foods that may reduce inflammation and stress throughout the body, such as fiber-rich fruits and veggies, unsaturated fats, and bacteria-laden fermented foods (22Trusted Source, 28Trusted Source, 29Trusted Source, 30Trusted Source).

For mood and mental well-being: A nutrient-dense diet

To improve your mood, one of the best things you can do in terms of diet is simply to eat a well-balanced diet that contains a variety of health-promoting nutrients.

Though researchers are still exploring the relationships between food and mental health, there are multiple studies that support eating a high-quality, nutrient-dense diet for an improved mood (31Trusted Source, 32Trusted Source).

For example, three studies found that eating more fruits and vegetables is linked with less worry, lower tension, and greater life satisfaction, while a literature review linked higher diet quality with improved mood (33Trusted Source, 34Trusted Source, 35Trusted Source).

Want to make your diet more nutrient-dense but not sure where to start? Check out Healthline’s guide to healthy eating in real life.

A note about medications

Medications are commonly used to manage neurological and psychological conditions like depression, anxiety disorders, insomnia, and bipolar disorder.

Many of these medications interact with certain foods. Some foods may weaken or intensify the effects of medications, while the medicines themselves could affect a person’s nutritional status.

Therefore, if you’re taking any medications to treat a mental health condition, it’s crucial that you consult with your prescribing doctor(s) before making any drastic changes to your diet.

Some medications with known food-drug interactions include (10Trusted Source):

anticonvulsants
antipsychotics
sleeping pills
antidepressants like Levodopa, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), and Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs)

Simple diet tips to support your mental health

If you’re experiencing symptoms of any mental health conditions, you may want to work directly with a specialist, like a psychiatrist or psychologist, for individualized care.

On the other hand, if you’re simply looking to make some straightforward changes to your diet to support your emotional health and wellbeing, here are a few suggestions you can start with.

As you read through these tips, remember that the overall quality of your diet is more powerful than any one decision you make in a day. Try to focus on a variety of healthy nutrients rather than just one individually (29Trusted Source, 36Trusted Source).

Load up on these nutrients

Here are some of the nutrients most notably linked with mental health, as well as a few foods they’re found in (29Trusted Source, 36Trusted Source, 37Trusted Source):

Omega-3 fatty acids: walnuts, chia and flaxseeds, salmon, herring, sardines (38Trusted Source)
Folate: beef liver, rice, fortified cereals, black-eyed peas, spinach, asparagus, Brussels sprouts (39Trusted Source)
Iron: oysters, beef liver, fortified cereals, spinach, dark chocolate, white beans, lentils, tofu (40Trusted Source)
Magnesium: spinach, pumpkin and chia seeds, soy milk, black beans, almonds, cashews, peanuts (41Trusted Source)
Zinc: oysters, chicken, pork chops, beef roast, Alaska king crab, lobster, pumpkin seeds (42Trusted Source)
B vitamins: chicken breast, beef liver, clams, tuna, salmon, chickpeas, potatoes, bananas (43Trusted Source, 44Trusted Source)
Vitamin A: beef liver, herring, cow’s milk, ricotta cheese, sweet potatoes, carrots, cantaloupe (45Trusted Source)
Vitamin C: red and green peppers, orange and grapefruit juice, strawberries, broccoli (46Trusted Source)

Pack in prebiotics and probiotics

Prebiotics are foods that provide nutrition to the bacteria already living in your gut, while probiotics actually contain healthy bacteria themselves.

A diet that includes pre- and probiotics helps maintain a balances state of homeostasis (stability) in the gut. Some research also suggests they may play a role in the body’s response to stress and depression (32Trusted Source, 47Trusted Source, 48Trusted Source, 49Trusted Source).

Some foods that contain prebiotics or probiotics are (50Trusted Source, 51Trusted Source):

fermented foods: yogurt, kefir, buttermilk, kimchi, sauerkraut, tempeh, kombucha
alliums: garlic, onions, leeks
vegetables: artichokes and asparagus
fruits: apples and bananas
grains: barley and oats

Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are rich in many nutrients that support mental health — like fiber, complex carbohydrates, vitamin B, vitamin C, and healthy plant chemicals called polyphenols (29Trusted Source, 52Trusted Source).

A recent review looked at 61 studies that compared fruit intake and mental health and found that eating more fruits and vegetables was associated with higher levels of optimism and self-efficacy, yet lower levels of depression and psychological distress (52Trusted Source).

Some fruits and veggies that may affect mental health include (37Trusted Source, 52Trusted Source):

berries
citrus fruits
leafy greens

Fuel up with whole grains

Whole grains are cereals like rice, wheat, and oats that are left fully intact during processing. Therefore, they contain more fiber and nutrients than refined grains, which have had certain parts of the plant discarded.

One recent study including more than 3,000 adults found that a higher dietary fiber intake was linked with lower risks of anxiety, depression, and psychological distress (28Trusted Source).

What’s more, the type of fiber found in whole grains may have anti-inflammatory effects when it’s digested in the gut, which may also benefit mental health via the gut-brain axis (29Trusted Source).

Share a meal with your loved ones

For many of us, our food choices are shaped by a myriad of factors.

A food’s nutritional value is often a primary consideration, but many other factors can and should influence food choices — including the pleasure we associate with social eating (53Trusted Source).

Sharing meals among family, friends, and community members is one of the oldest human traditions and may be one way to brighten your spirits when you’re feeling down.

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Foods and habits that may harm your mental health

Just like there seem to be certain foods, nutrients, and habits that support mental health, there are also some that may hinder it.

Here are a few things you may want to consider having only in moderation or eliminating completely if you’ve noticed they tend to affect your mental state.

Ultra-processed foods

Ultra-processed foods are those that have undergone industrial processing techniques.

They tend to be higher in calories, salt, added sugar, and unsaturated fats and include foods like candy, baked goods, sugar-sweetened beverages, and salty snacks.

Eating ultra-processed foods regularly throughout the week has been linked with a higher incidence of symptoms associated with anxiety, depression, and stress (54Trusted Source, 55Trusted Source, 56Trusted Source).

Therefore, ultra-processed foods may be best left as an occasional treat.

Remember, though, that the term “processed foods” includes a wide variety of products, many of which are more convenient and less expensive than other foods. Not all foods that undergo processing are considered harmful. Learn more here.

Alcohol consumption

Alcohol intake is closely linked with mental health conditions, and the two often become entangled in a feedback loop (57Trusted Source, 58Trusted Source, 59Trusted Source).

Those experiencing symptoms of mental health conditions may use alcohol for temporary relief, only to find that it actually exacerbates the symptoms they’re trying to alleviate.

In particular, drinking too much alcohol may aggravate symptoms of depression, stress, anxiety, and mood disorders (58Trusted Source, 59Trusted Source, 60Trusted Source).

When you’re struggling with mental health, it may be best to abstain from alcohol or drink only in moderation, which The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines as no more than one drink for women or two drinks for men per day (61Trusted Source).

Irregular mealtimes

The time intervals at which we eat throughout the day have been shown to influence our food choices, circadian rhythm, inflammation, and even the gut microbiome — all of which may affect mental health (29Trusted Source, 62Trusted Source).

A recent study including nearly 4,500 adult workers found that irregular meal patterns were correlated with higher levels of neuroticism, productivity loss, sleep problems, and more factors that affect mental health (63Trusted Source).

Though it’s not always possible, eating at regular mealtimes as often as you can may be one way to balance your mood.

A lack of sleep

Along with a healthy diet, regular physical activity, and avoidance of tobacco and alcohol, proper sleep is a fundamental factor of mental health (64Trusted Source, 65Trusted Source, 66Trusted Source).

Not only is a lack of sleep itself associated with poorer mental health, but it may also influence gut health and food choices (67Trusted Source, 68Trusted Source, 69Trusted Source, 70Trusted Source).

One culprit that could be harming your sleep habits is caffeine, and its effects may be particularly significant in young people. A small study among college students observed a link between caffeine intake and symptoms of anxiety and depression (71Trusted Source).

A larger study including more than 68,000 adolescents found that energy drinks were significantly associated with poor sleep, severe stress, and depression. Interestingly, the effect was highest in those who also ate processed foods frequently (72Trusted Source).

If you find that you have trouble sleeping, try to limit your caffeine intake to the morning hours. And in the meantime, check out Healthline Sleep for more resources.

How to implement dietary changes to support mental health

Change does not always come easily, especially if you’re working in opposition to habits you’ve formed over the years.

Thankfully, if you plan ahead, there are some steps you can take to help make change easier.

1. Go easy on yourself

Making any type of lifestyle change takes time, and getting from the starting line to the finish point won’t happen overnight.

Remember that change is a process. If you slip and stumble along the way, it’s normal and OK.

2. Eat mindfully

One of the most powerful steps you can take towards eating for your mental health is to pay particularly close attention to how various foods and beverages affect the way you feel.

If you’re wondering whether or not certain foods could be influencing your mental health, try eliminating them from your diet to see if anything about the way you feel changes.

Then, reincorporate them back into your diet and again observe any changes to the way you feel.

Personalized approaches like mindful eating are the basis of the growing field of nutritional psychiatry.

3. Start small

Rather than trying to completely reinvent your entire diet overnight, start with making one small change at a time.

This could be as simple as aiming to have at least one piece of fruit every day or limiting yourself to a certain number of caffeinated beverages per week.

4. Try swapping these foods

A small change that’s easy to start with is swapping foods that seem to support mental health for those that may not.

Some examples of healthy food swaps are:

whole foods instead of packaged and processed foods
whole grains instead of refined grains
whole fruits instead of dried fruits and juices
seafood or lean poultry instead of red and processed meats
fermented dairy instead of sweetened dairy
fruit infused waters instead of soda
kombucha or herbal tea instead of alcohol
herbs and spices instead of sugar and salt

5. Monitor your progress

Making a change and sticking with it is always a great feeling itself.

But unless you monitor how that change is influencing your big picture goals, it’s difficult to say whether or not the changes you’ve made are actually working.

Think of a few ways you’ll monitor your progress and how you’ll document it.

Monitoring your progress can be as simple as journaling about how different foods make you feel or using a checklist to help track the food groups you eat from in a day.

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The bottom line

Nutritional psychiatry is a fascinating field with potential to reshape the way we think about our mental health.

There’s still much to learn, but it’s become increasingly clear that the health of our gut and the bacteria that reside in it play a significant role in mental health management and emotional regulation.

Eating a nutritious diet may be one of the best ways to support gut health, while processed foods are associated with poorer outcomes and should likely be limited.

If you want to make changes to your diet to support your mental health, start with a few small food swaps and build up from there.