Experts Say Nutritional Psychiatry Is A Thing — But How Does It Work Exactly?

We dig into the ins and outs of nutritional psychiatry and how food plays a role in your emotional wellness.

Source: Experts Say Nutritional Psychiatry Is A Thing — But How Does It Work Exactly?

Opinion:

We hear a lot about how booze, drugs, and even pollution can mess up our minds. But in keeping with a more positive trend, I was told by my doctor that certain foods can have a beneficial effect on our psychological functioning and outlook.

Milk and milk products, for example, apparently are calming. So if you’re feeling edgy, instead of taking pills, why not have a glass of milk or some ice cream? One can always try that first before resorting to the heavier stuff unless of course, your doctor recommends or perhaps the law demands otherwise.

I say “the law” because, as I mentioned in a paper I wrote for a “methodology” seminar at the University of Ottawa, in many free and democratic countries there’s a pronounced legal difference between the violent and the non-violent mental health patient.

Another thing I’ve heard is that the brain actually needs certain nutrients to function properly. But instead of me playing medical doctor – which I am not – I suggest interested readers ask their medical practitioner or at least search for more information on this.

I should stress that am not anti-meds when it comes to mental health. But if we can achieve a desirable outcome through nature instead of factory-produced meds, I’m all for the former.

We don’t always hear – or even know – about the short and especially long-term side effects of some psychiatric meds. Some say that meds change the brain itself which makes getting off them especially difficult.

So like anything, I urge concerned readers to educate themselves and ask their doctors the tough questions because after all, it’s your life and your body, not theirs.