“Let food be thy medicine” - Hippocrates
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Nutritional Psychiatry is the science of how the quality of the food we eat and levels of nutrients in our bodies affect our mental health. Deficiencies in vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients and inflammation caused by consuming poor quality and processed foods can cause or contribute to psychiatric disorders. It makes sense, because the brain is an organ in the body, and just as with every other organ, poor nutrition can cause dysfunction that leads to illness. Nutritional psychiatry uses dietary changes and supplements to correct nutritional deficiencies and thereby reduce the symptoms of psychiatric disorders. The board certified psychiatric nurse practitioners at Owl & Eagle Health and Wellness can incorporate Nutritional Psychiatry into your treatment plan, to address some of the underlying causes of mental health problems and improve your mental health and well-being.
If you would like to learn more about Nutritional Psychiatry at Owl & Eagle Health and Wellnessin Golden and Greenwood Village, Colorado, Contact Us with questions or Book Now to schedule an in-person or telehealth intake appointment today.
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Nutritional Psychiatry Q &A
How does Nutritional Psychiatry work?
Poor diet is one of the underlying causes of psychiatric disorders. Processed and refined foods contain substances and chemicals that the brain may not be able to eliminate effectively, which may lead to inflammation and increased levels of free radicals that can cause damage. Processed and refined foods also contain low levels of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients, and consuming a lot of these foods can lead to nutrient deficiencies. The combination of nutrient deficiencies, oxidative damage, and inflammation can cause or contribute to depression, mood swings, anxiety, ADHD, and even psychosis.
In addition, the gastrointestinal tract is lined with cells that directly interact with the bacteria that reside there, influencing levels of inflammation, how well nutrients are absorbed from food, and neural communication between the GI tract and the brain. This neural communication pathway is referred to as the gut-brain axis. Poor diet can cause dysbiosis, or imbalance in the gut bacteria, which causes dysfunctional neural communication in the gut-brain axis, which is associated with psychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety, and autism. Healthy diets include large quantities of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fish, seafood, fermented foods, and healthy fats; moderate or small amounts of lean meat, dairy, and natural unrefined sugar; and very little processed food, refined flour, or refined sugar. These diets contain high nutrient content and natural probiotics and prebiotics that improve the quality and quantity of gut bacteria, reducing inflammation and improving function of the gut-brain axis, which in turn improves symptoms of psychiatric disorders.
Nutritional psychiatry "prescribes" a diet rich in natural whole foods, vitamins, supplements, and pre-biotics and pro-biotics to improve function of the gut-brain axis and correct nutritional deficiencies. This leads to improvement in brain structure and function, leading to improved emotional and cognitive function and relief of psychiatric symptoms.
How is Nutritional Psychiatry used at Owl & Eagle Health and Wellness?
The board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioners at Owl & Eagle Health and Wellness can incorporate Nutritional Psychiatry into your psychiatric treatment plan. They will test levels of various nutrients involved in psychiatric disorders, and will recommend dietary changes, vitamins and supplements, probiotics, and prebiotics that can help. This approach can be used in combination with psychiatric medications, psychotherapy, TMS, ketamine assisted therapy, and hormone therapy to maximize improvement in psychiatric symptoms, while improving overall health and wellness.
If you are interested in Nutritional Psychiatry at Owl & Eagle Health and Wellness in Golden and Greenwood Village, Colorado, Contact Us with questions or Book Now to schedule an in-person or telehealth intake appointment today.