Recent years have seen an increase in emotional, non-rational, and even explosive remarks in public discourse. Politicians are insulted during legislative discussions and scientists receive threatening emails.
What's going on? Social media can be blamed for the increase in angry rhetoric. Is there other influences changing communication styles?
Many people in our society experience brain hunger, impairing their cognitive function and emotion regulation, and as researchers in the field of nutrition and mental health, and authors of The Better Brain, we recognize that.
There are products that are ultra-processed.
North Americans tend to get enough of the three macronutrients, with the exception of the good complex carbs. We are being cheated of vitamins and minerals by those who choose to eat ultra-processed products.
Soft drinks, packaged snacks, sweetened breakfast cereals, and chicken nuggets are ultra-processed products. Unless they are fortified, they usually contain a few micronutrients, but only a few at higher levels.
In 2004, 48 percent of the calories in Canada came from ultra-processed products, while in the United States 67 percent of calories came from children.
Diet quality is associated with chronic health conditions such as diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, and most of us are aware of this. The impact of nutrition on brain health is not well known by the public.
We need to learn more about the scientific evidence that shows that micronutrient intake affects mental health symptoms, especially irritability, explosive rage, and unstable mood, because our society's food choices have moved so strongly toward ultra-processed products.
Few in the public are aware of the vast scientific evidence base for this statement.
A dozen studies from countries like Canada, Spain, Japan and Australia have shown that people who eat a healthy, whole foods diet have less symptoms of depression and anxiety than people who eat a poor diet.
Correlational studies can't prove that nutrition is the cause of mental health problems, but they can show that people with no apparent mental health problems enter the study and are evaluated for their health and diet over time. Some of the results have been amazing.
The suicide rate in a study of 89,000 people in Japan was half that of those who did not eat a lot of food.
Here in Canada, similar findings show how children's diet, exercise and screen time can be used to predict which children will be referred for a mental disorder in the next two years. Nutrition education should be one of the first lines of treatment for children in this situation.
Multiple independent studies have found that teaching people with depression how to change to a Mediterranean-style diet resulted in significant improvements.
A Mediterranean-style diet is high in fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seafood.
One study found that about one-third of people who changed to a whole foods diet found their depression to be gone after 12 weeks.
The control group used regular treatment but no diet changes had a lower rate of remission. The whole foods diet group saved 20 percent on their weekly food budget. The myth that eating a diet of ultra-processed products is a way to save money is dispelled by this final point.
Studies evaluating micronutrient supplements to treat mental health problems show that they can be used to resolve irritability, explosive rage, and unstable mood.
The search for magic bullets is the only thing that most public awareness is focused on. That is a common way to think about causality, but that is not how our brains work.
To support brain metabolism, our brains need at least 30 micronutrients to ensure the production of neurotransmitters and break down and remove metabolic byproducts.
There are many studies that show improved mood regulation and reduced rage in children with attention deficit disorders.
A well-nourished population is better able to deal with stress. Brain hunger is a factor that contributes to emotional outbursts, aggression, and even the loss of civility in public discourse.
Bonnie Kaplan is a professor at the Cumming School of Medicine and Julia J Rucklidge is a professor at the University of Canterbury.
The Conversation's article is a Creative Commons licensed one. The original article can be found here.
