Mental health disorders represent a major public health issue due to their impact on years lived with disability, and cross-talk with other non-communicable diseases, such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes. Importantly, most of these conditions can be prevented by implementing healthy dietary habits. Consequently, a recently developed field of psychiatry, "nutritional psychiatry", is focused on investigating the relationships among dietary factors, eating habits, and mental disorders in order to form methods for the prevention and treatment of mental disorders.This Special Collection from Nutrients will focus on both observational and molecular studies that investigate the effects of nutrients, foods, and whole dietary patterns on mental health. We invited authors to submit reviews and studies providing evidence of the effects of nutritional factors on cognitive function, depression, sleep patterns, stress, and quality of life.

The first book to provide a comprehensive overview of the relationship between nutrition and mental health for clinicians.

Exercise, a healthy diet, stress management, sound sleep: Most practitioners would agree that living well can mitigate the impact of mental disorders. Yet many are unprepared to address lifestyle factors in their care of patients. Lifestyle Psychiatry seeks to instill confidence by collating and analyzing the impressive emerging body of evidence that supports the efficacy of healthy lifestyle practices -- both as the primary intervention and in conjunction with traditional treatments such as psychopharmacology or psychotherapy -- in preventing and managing psychiatric disorders. This volume examines the impact of lifestyle interventions -- from exercise, yoga, and tai chi to mindfulness and meditation, diet and nutrition, and sleep management -- on psychiatric disorders, including depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, and addiction. Readers can readily find data to support the use of specific lifestyle interventions for a patient presenting with a specific disorder. Detailed descriptions of the mechanisms of each lifestyle intervention also prepare practitioners to educate their patients on the specific neurobiological and psychological effects of these interventions to support their recovery. With chapters that focus on developing a robust therapeutic alliance and inspiring patients to assume responsibility for their own well-being, this guide provides a framework for lasting, sustainable lifestyle changes. Additionally, the book discusses the impact of the provider's lifestyle on clinical behavior and the implications of lifestyle medicine and psychiatry for health care systems and population health, offering a broader examination of the important role this new field can play in leading a sophisticated, holistic approach to optimizing wellness.

A revolutionary prescription for healing depression and anxiety and optimizing brain health through the foods we eat, including a six-week plan to help you get started eating for better mental health. Depression and anxiety disorders are rising, affecting more than fifty-eight million people in the United States alone. Many rely on therapy and medications to alleviate symptoms, but often this is not enough. The latest scientific advances in neuroscience and nutrition, along with our understanding of the mind-gut connection, have proven that how and what we eat greatly affects how we feel—physically, cognitively, and emotionally. In this groundbreaking book, Dr. Drew Ramsey helps us forge a path toward greater mental health through food. Eat to Beat Depression and Anxiety breaks down the science of nutritional psychiatry and explains what foods positively affect brain health and improve mental wellness. Dr. Ramsey distills the most cutting-edge research on nutrition and the brain into actionable tips you can start using today to improve brain-cell health and growth, reduce inflammation, and cultivate a healthy microbiome, all of which contribute to our mental well-being. He explores the twelve essential vitamins and minerals most critical to your brain and body and outlines which anti-inflammatory foods feed the gut. He helps readers assess barriers to self-nourishment and offers techniques for enhancing motivation. To help us begin, he provides a kick-starter six-week mental health food plan designed to mitigate depression and anxiety, incorporating key food categories like leafy greens and seafood, along with simple, delicious, brain nutrient–rich recipes. By following the methods Dr. Ramsey uses with his patients, you can confidently choose foods to help you on your journey to full mental health.

Exploring the connection between nutrition and mental wellness so therapists can provide more effective, integrated treatment. Diet is an essential component of a client’s clinical profile. Few therapists, however, have any nutritional training, and many don’t know where to begin. In Nutrition Essentials for Mental Health, Leslie Korn provides clinicians with a practical guide to the complex relationship between what we eat and the way we think, feel, and interact with the world. Where there is mental illness there is frequently a history of digestive and nutritional problems. Digestive problems in turn exacerbate mental distress, all of which can be improved by nutritional changes. It’s not unusual for a deficit or excess of certain nutrients to disguise itself as a mood disorder. Indeed, nutritional deficiencies factor into most mental illness—from anxiety and depression to schizophrenia and PTSD—and dietary changes can work alongside or even replace medications to alleviate symptoms and support mental wellness. Nutrition Essentials for Mental Health offers the mental health clinician the principles and practices necessary to provide clients with nutritional counseling to improve mood and mental health. Integrating clinical evidence with the author’s extensive clinical experience, it takes clinicians step-by-step through the essentials for integrating nutritional therapies into mental health treatment. Throughout, brief clinical vignettes illustrate commonly encountered obstacles and how to overcome them. Readers will learn: • Why nutrition matters in mental health • The role of various nutrients in nourishing both the brain and the gut, the “second brain” • Typical nutritional culprits that underlie or exacerbate specific mental disorders • Assessment techniques for evaluating a client’s unique nutritional needs, and counseling methods for the challenging but rewarding process of nutritional change. • Leading-edge protocols for the use of various macro- and micronutrients, vitamins, and supplements to improve mental health • Considerations for food allergies, sensitivities, and other special diets • The effects of foods and nutrients on DSM-5 categories of illness, and alternatives to pharmaceuticals for treatment • Comprehensive, stage-based approaches to coaching clients about dietary plans, nutritional supplements, and other resources • Ideas for practical, affordable, and individualized diets, along with optimal cooking methods and recipes • Nutritional strategies to help with withdrawal from drugs, alcohol and pharmaceuticals And much more. With this resource in hand, clinicians can enhance the efficacy of all their methods and be prepared to support clients’ mental health with more effective, integrated treatment.

The progressive ageing of the general population and the consequent increase of the number of old people has made the typical medical problems of aged people more frequently observed, and particularly the problems related to the ageing brain. This new book is an updated overview of relevant aspects of cognitive decline associated with ageing. Within the wide landscape of brain ageing the authors reconsider the role of the main predisposing factors and risk factors on the development of various form of mental decline, from mild cognitive impairment to dementia. The strength of this book is the large, updated overview of the most recent data of scientific literature regarding the role of genetic, metabolic and environmental factors on the predisposition and onset of cognitive decline. Particular attention is paid to the dietary micro- and macronutrients and to their possible role in the pathogenesis of the various form of dementigen disorders.

'This is a fascinating book, by a leading researcher, covering one of the most exciting areas of modern nutritional research - how what we eat impacts our gut and brain. The combination of personal stories and cutting edge science is a real winner.' Michael Mosley You feel how you eat. We accept that the quality of our diet affects the health of our heart and liver. So why wouldn't diet - good or bad - affect the health of our brain? This is the question that Australian scientist Felice Jacka set out to answer. Having suffered depression and anxiety as a young woman, she wanted to understand the role diet plays in our overall mental and brain health. What she found through her own research and that of other eminent scientists worldwide will revolutionise the way we think about what we eat and how we care for our brains. * Obesity and depression are two major causes of disease and disability across the globe, and each influences the other. *Food does affect mood: highly processed foods increase depression risk, while a balanced, whole-food diet can prevent depression and improve mood. *A healthy diet improves gut health, and in turn health microbiota (gut bacteria) promote brain health and keep our weight in check. *A healthy diet improves brain performance at all ages, from school-age kids to their work-stressed parents. *The Mediterranean diet is linked to lower rates of Alzheimer's disease and general cognitive decline in older people. Professor Jacka, who leads the field of Nutritional Psychiatry research globally, provides not just the most recent scientific evidence but also a range of simple, practical solutions for improving the way we eat on a daily basis, including meal plans and a range of delicious recipes. This is not a diet book. This is a guide to the good habits that will protect your most precious organ, improve your quality of life and optimise mental and brain health across your lifespan. PRAISE FOR BRAIN CHANGER 'Jacka is leading the way in providing evidence-based approaches that are rooted in cutting-edge science to transform how we think about mental health.' Professor John Cryan