Sandrine Thuret, PhD INSTITUTE OF PSYCHIATRY, PSYCHOLOGY & NEUROSCIENCE

Basic and Clinical Neuroscience

Cells & Behaviour Unit

The Impact of Diet on Mental Health

Friday 27th of May 2016

Corporate Wellness and Benefits Summit

PhysicalHealth

CardiovascularDiseases

WeightManagement

Diabetes

Impact of Diet

WHAT

WE EATMentalHealth

MoodDepression

Cognitivedecline

Learning& memoryAbilities

WHATWHEN

HOW MUCH

WE EAT

Diet, cognition and mood

WHATWHEN

HOW MUCH

WE EAT? ?

RESVERATROLVITAMIN E DEFICIENCY HIGH SUGAR

HIGH SATURATED FATCALORIE RESTRICTION VITAMIN B DEFFICIENCY

SOFT DIET VITAMIN A DEFFICIENCY BLUEBERRIESFLAVONOIDSZINCFOLIC ACID CURCURMIN

CAFFEINE INTERMITTENT FASTINGETHANOL

OMEGA 3 FATTY ACIDS

• Omega-3 fatty acids are Polyunsaturated essential fatty acids: The body cannot make them -- you have to get them through food.

• They are a component of the brain.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Not all equal

eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5, n−3; EPA)

docosahexaenoic acid (22:6, n−3; DHA)

Men

tal H

ealth

Effe

cts

Cold water fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring…

α-linolenic acid(18:3, n−3; ALA)

Flaxseeds, soybeans, pumpkin seeds, walnuts…

Omega-3- Fatty Acids and Cognition

• Low intake of Ω-3 FA is associated with cognitive decline in elderly.

• Whereas a diet rich in Ω-3 FA is associated with the prevention of cognitive decline.

• Rodents with Ω-3 FA deficiency showed impaired performance in spatial memory tasks- which could be rectified after supplementation.

Freemantle et al. 2006; van Gelder et al. 2007; Fedorova & Salem, 2006

• Ω-3 FA serum concentrations are 20% lower in patients with depression

• Fluoxetine (Prozac) and EPA appear to be equally effective in controlling depressive symptoms in major depression (1g EPA = 20 mg fluoxetine for 8 weeks)

Omega-3- Fatty Acids and Mood

!

Logan et al., 2004; Jazayeri et al., 2008; Lin et al. 2012

1g=1000mg of EPA/DHA

per day

1 serving (85g) of salmon or sardines/day

OR 3 servings (255g) of tuna or cod or pollock/day

(OR 10 eggs/day – or 3kg of beef!)

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

RESVERATROLVITAMIN E DEFICIENCY HIGH SUGAR

OMEGA 3 FATTY ACIDS HIGH SATURATED FATVITAMIN B DEFFICIENCY

SOFT DIET VITAMIN A DEFFICIENCY BLUEBERRIESFLAVONOIDSZINCFOLIC ACID CURCURMIN

CAFFEINEETHANOL

CALORIE RESTRICTION

INTERMITTENT FASTING

Dietary/Energy Restriction: Well-known physical health benefits

Review in Mattson, 2001, 2008, 2012

Overweight participants under CR(over 400 studies)

Reduction of Type-2 diabetes

risk factors

Improvement of the immune

system

Diminution of cardiovascular diseases

risk

Animal Models

under CR or IF

Increase lifespan

Non-Overweight participants under CR

(Calerie study, Witte et al.

2009) and IF (Vallejo study)

Diminution of hospital

admission (50%)

Review in Redman et al., 2008

Decrease Concern

about body size and shape

(Human)

Improved Verbal

memory (Human)

Animal Models

under CR or IF

Diminution of depressive symptoms

Review in Zainuddin and Thuret, 2012, Murphy and Thuret, 2015

Dietary/Energy Restriction: Mental Health Benefits

Improved Spatial

learning and

memory (Mice)

Overweight participants under CR

Non-Overweight participants under CR

(Calerie study, Witte et al.

2009) and IF (Vallejo study)

Witte et al., 2009

50 healthy participants aged between 50 and 80,BMI between 21 and 25.

Calorie Restriction with a daily reduction of 30% for 3 months + Control Group (no change in diet)

CR+30%

Control

Dietary/Energy Restriction: Mental Health Benefits

WHATWHEN

HOW MUCH

WE EAT? ?

Diet, cognition and mood

Hippocampus, cognition and mood

Diet, Hippocampus, cognition and mood

WHATWHEN

HOW MUCH

WE EAT

Hippocampus: Neurogenesis: birth of new nerve cells

RESVERATROLVITAMIN E DEFICIENCY HIGH SUGAR

OMEGA 3 FATTY ACIDS HIGH SATURATED FATCALORIE RESTRICTION VITAMIN B DEFFICIENCY

SOFT DIET VITAMIN A DEFFICIENCY BLUEBERRIESFLAVONOIDSZINCFOLIC ACID CURCURMIN

CAFFEINE INTERMITTENT FASTINGETHANOL

WHATWHEN

HOW MUCH

WE EAT

NEUROGENESIS

Diet, Hippocampal NEUROGENESIS, cognition and mood

Impact: Present and Future Health

“An integrated approach, recognising the interplay of biological, psychological,

social and environmental factors is key to challenging the growing burden of

mental ill-health in western nations. Diet is a cornerstone of this integrated

approach. The time is now right for nutrition to become a mainstream, everyday

component of mental health care, and a regular factor in mental health

promotion.”

Dr Andrew McCullochFormer Chief Executive The Mental Health Foundation

Nutrient Amount used in Human studies

Food rich in Nutrient Serving equivalent

Flavonoids 100 to 800 mg flavanols/day Cocoa (2.5mg/g)Citrus fruits, berries Tea, Wine

Flavonoids constitute about 25% of the dry weight of fresh tea leaf- 200-ml cup of tea, the mean total content of flavonoids is 266.68 mg for green tea, and 233.12 mg for black tea

Citrus fruits

40g to 160g of 99% dark chocolate/day

OR

80g to 320g of 50% dark/milk chocolate/day

OR 1 to 3 cup of tea/day

Blueberries 500ml fresh wild blueberry juice/day 600g of fresh blueberries/day

Curcumin 500mg to 3g/day of curcumin powder Tumeric powder Eating one curry dish/day!

Zinc Recommended daily intake:8 to 11 mg/day

Oysters, Red meats, liver, nuts…

1 oyster OR8 table spoon of wheat germsOR 1 cup of peanuts or 100g of beef

Caffeine <100mg beneficial >500mg detrimental

coffee One espresso: 51mg (Starbucks)157mg (Costas)

Vitamin E 15mg/day Seed/nut oil, nuts 4 teaspoons of sunflower oil OR 100g of almonds OR 1kg of spinach OR 1.5kg of mango

Vitamin A Recommended daily intake:700 to 900 μg/day (no more than 3000μg/day)

Cod liver oil, Carrots, Butter, Spinach…

1/3 of a tea spoon of cod liver oilOr 100g of carrots