Nutrition and Mental Health PDF

Preface

I have had a great interest in physical and mental health as well as other areas of science for over 40 years, beginning with my first job as clinical dietitian at Osawatomie State Hospital in Osawatomie, Kansas. This interest expanded during my work at The Menninger Foundation in Topeka, Kansas, and at Mesa Vista Hospital in San Diego, California, as well as in other positions. I have a deep interest in the study of the person as a whole, integrated being; the physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual aspects interacting and influencing each other. The growth of knowledge and capability of discovery in these areas is awesome, in the true sense of the word.

Acknowledging that nutrition and biochemistry are not the entire answer to all health problems (mental or physical), I believe consideration of nutritional status is a vital part of preventing, diagnosing, and treating many health conditions. If for no other reason, it should be ruled out as an influence, if not a cause, for a health condition.

This book is a selection from the huge body of historical and current literature published in scientific journals that drew my attention relevant to the proposal that nutrients and nutritional status influence mental health. I hope this selection will stimulate the interest of readers about the subject, illustrate the diverse research published, and give a glimpse of complementary or supplementary views. Some selections are included as reports of research; others are intended as resources for readers wanting to delve further into a subject. As a scientific community, we are just beginning to be able to study the combination of nutrition and mental health in the depth necessary for meaningful conclusions. As fundamental as they are to a healthy physical life, I believe we will ultimately realize how deeply nutrients and nutritional status affect mental life as well. I can hardly wait to see what happens next.

I propose a new term for conceptualizing this bidirectional influence: the PsychoNutriologic Person (PNP). I define a PNP as the individual who has both nutritional and mental health concerns that interact and influence quality of life. This term parallels the terms Pharmacologic Person, Functionologic Person, and Psychodermatologic Person, the focus of pharmacy, nursing, and dermatology, respectively.

If all research on mental disorders included an assessment of the nutritional biochemistry and genetics of each participant, with scientists and clinicians establishing and reporting this aspect of equality between experimental groups, I suspect new knowledge would explain some discrepancies present at this time.

Recognizing that some readers are trained in a field other than nutrition, I include some explanations that may be familiar to nutritionists. Likewise, some explanations for nutritionists who are not trained in mental health are included. Interested nonprofessionals are also accommodated with additional explanations.

I believe the content of this book demonstrates that nutritional status influences mental status, in a variety of ways, at different levels of severity. My hope is that in-depth assessment of nutritional status and research on outcomes of nutritional interventions for improved mental status will be funded more liberally and that the evidence gained will be used clinically on an individually focused, routine basis. What a waste it is to not use an inexpensive and intuitively accepted modality such as good nutrition in support of mental health.

I commend you, the reader, for your interest and thoughtful consideration of these complex aspects of the human condition.