LET FOOD BE THY MEDICINE AND MEDICINE BE THY FOOD –

Sept. 9, 2022 – Researchers from the Institute of Psychiatry at the King’s College in London in the United Kingdom investigated exactly how nutrition might affect mental health. They focused their research

Trusted Source on the effects of diet on the hippocampus.

The hippocampus is an area of the brain that generates new neurons in a process called neurogenesis. Research has linked neurogenesis in the hippocampus to a person’s mood and cognition.

Stressful experiences reduce neurogenesis in the hippocampus, while antidepressant drugs appear to promote this process.

Factors that can negatively affect neurogenesis in adults include:

• aging
• oxidative stress
• high fat diets
• high sugar diets
• alcohol
• opioids

Healthful foods and habits appear to promote neurogenesis. These include:

• diets that include polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), curcumin, and polyphenols
• a diet that meets calorie needs without a person overeating or undereating
• physical exercise

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