The Research

 

The research available to show the affects that food is having on our mental and physical health is now staggering,and something we can no longer ignore.

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As a Safeguarding and Wellbeing officer I spend my days talking to young people with anxiety and depression.

The number one thing all these young people have in common is their diet:  high in sugar and ultra-processed foods. Students seem shocked when I explain to them how the food and drinks they are putting into their bodies could be causing  serious negative impacts on their brain.

 
We live in a society in which one of the most dangerous and addictive drugs

 is readily available and highly advertised

to children… Sugar. 
 
Supermarket shelves are lined with colourful boxes, fun pictures, and catchy

slogans, to take away from the dangers that lurk inside. It’s all a trick,

the food industry does not care about our health, or our children’s health,

they care about sales.

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We have a generation of children addicted to sugar; it is being consumed at three times the recommended amount.  And the dangers do not just lie with sugar,  50% of our calories in the UK come from ultra processed food and teenagers’ consumption is even higher at a staggering 80 per cent.

Ultra-processed foods, as well as sugar, are the leading cause of obesity – they rewire our brains. Studies have even shown that ultra-processed foods contain such dangerous chemicals they lead to an increased risk of many types of cancer.
 
Many of the ingredients that go into ultra-processed foods are chemicals that our bodies are not designed to accept.  So, what are all these harmful chemicals doing to us?

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Our gut really is our second brain. Our gut produces more neurotransmitters – which affect mood and behaviour - than the brain.

Everything we put into our gut will directly affect how we feel: our mental health, how we sleep, memory, ability to learn, our means of processing information and our likelihood of developing serious illnesses. In short, what we choose to eat affects everything.
 
Every time we consume sugar it is absorbed into the bloodstream, which causes our insulin to spike, and this can be problematic for our bodies.

Constant insulin spikes can damage blood vessels within our brains and bodies. This can cause cognitive issues as well as serious diseases such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. These insulin spikes can cause inflammation within the body, which in turn can make us more vulnerable to disease.
 
Through my research I have spoken to many GPs and nutritionists. One of the GPs I spoke to said that 90% of the patients she now sees are there for diseases caused by inflammation, such as depression, autoimmune diseases, lung and cardiovascular diseases and gastrointestinal disorders. 

Inflammation in the body is directly linked to ultra-processed foods and sugar.

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You may be eating more ultra-processed food than you realise. Lots of our food is highly processed, such as yoghurts, bread, and sandwich meat, it is important that we check our labels. If you do not recognise several of the ingredients, such as gums and acids then this means it is probably highly processed.
 
                                                                             

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Small changes to diet can make an enormous difference. Damage caused to our bodies can be reversed, it is not too late. It is also possible to see the effects of healthy changes on our brains and bodies almost immediately.

Increasing fruits and vegetables, adding legumes, nuts, and fish to the diet, and reducing ultra-processed food and sugar is the key to changing your gut health and improving your mental and physical wellbeing.
 
Another slight change people can make is eating vegetables before you eat your carbohydrates or any sugars. This creates a barrier in your stomach, which stops the sugars from entering the bloodstream immediately, which dramatically flattens the insulin spike experienced by eating carbohydrates first, or sugars on an empty stomach. This not only stops a huge spike, but it helps to keep energy levels up and keeps you fuller longer. The order in which you eat your food can have a significant impact.

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The effect on both mental and physical health can be dramatic. A study carried out in Australia for three months, was pioneering in really testing the link between food and mental health, and the results were astonishing. One third of the participants who suffered from severe clinical depression went into complete remission, and the others who were part of the focus group also improved dramatically. The more the participants stuck to the healthy eating plan, the more they improved.
 
These are minor changes but will have the biggest impact and is vital information that all of us should know, but why don’t we?

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We need to be teaching our younger generation because they are the future of the world, and we don’t want their lives to be full of addiction, depression and disease. We want to give them the best chance for it to be full of happiness and health.

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