Does What We Eat Affect Mental Health?
We shouldn’t be surprised by the answer
Mr. Skeptical starts, “What you’re saying is sort of obvious. If I don’t eat, I’ll be in a bad mood. Duh!”
“What I’m talking about goes deeper than that.”
“So, some kids get hyper after eating sugar, then they crash and get tired. So, what? Everybody knows that.”
“That is one way that diet can affect mental health. Nevertheless, I’m talking about something subconscious that goes on with our food and how it impacts mental and emotional health.
Subconscious Fat at 30,000 feet
Georgia Ede, MD, a Harvard-trained board-certified psychiatrist specializing in nutritional and metabolic psychiatry, mentioned that meat would be the one food she’d choose if she could only eat from one food group. In her article, she mentions how many macro and micronutrients are tough or impossible to absorb from plant foods. She cites B7 and B12. B7, also known as biotin, helps the body transform food into energy, and it’s much harder to absorb from plants. B12, also known as cobalamin, plays a vital role in brain function.
Mr. Skeptical smirks, “I’m gonna guess vitamin B12 is harder to absorb from plants.”
“No, it’s not harder to absorb from plants; it’s impossible. Plants don’t have B12 at all. On top of that, B vitamins are water-soluble, meaning the body doesn’t store them. Consequently, we need to ensure we’re eating sources of B vitamins daily!”
Subconscious Fat at 10,000 feet
Mr. Skeptical is staying quiet, looking at his cell phone as if he’s looking at something important. I’m feeling pleased I’ve shut him up. But I’m going to keep pressing my point.
This is why I’m not surprised when I see celebrities who’ve had tremendous changes from the carnivore diet. After only one month on carnivore, Joe Rogan has lost weight, is more energized than ever, and has even seen a decrease in his autoimmune condition.
Mikhaila and Jordan Peterson, father-daughter duo celebrities, have both claimed increased mental clarity, less brain fog, and even depression improving after going carnivore.
Subconscious Fat at Eye-Level
The benefit of meat for mental health goes beyond more nutrients being absorbed better. It’s about how our brains evolved to begin with. Our brains evolved and made us human because we cooked our foods and ate primarily meat.
It’s called The Expensive-Tissue Hypothesis. It means that our brains grew due to a decrease in the size of our intestines because we could predigest (via cooking with fire) our food. Knowing that what made us human was the cooking of meat, we shouldn’t be surprised when many newly carnivore humans notice a decrease in depression, anxiety, or mental fog. Many who start on a carnivore diet experience what’s known as the carnivore zen.
“What’s the carnivore zen?” Asks Mr. Skeptical.
“It’s the feeling of relaxation one feels after eating meat. Nothing satisfies hunger better than juicy, fatty meat.”
“I just get tired after eating a lot. When I’m full, I already feel zen-like. It doesn’t have to be only meat.”
Sometimes, arguing with Mr. Skeptical is pointless. I know I’m not going to change his mind.
Practical Suggestions and Conclusions
It’s been known for some time that exercise can improve mood and depression. We can now add food to that. However, the food must be the right food. Eating more junk and processed foods like wheat and even vegetables won’t do it. Eating fatty meat will improve mental and emotional health.
Be aware.
PS See my links in Facebook and Instagram. Full disclosure: Chat GPT was used to research and enhance this post.