Healthy Eating Patterns Impact Brain and Mental Health

A healthy, balanced diet affects brain health, cognitive function and mental well-being.

KOMPAS/AHMAD ARIF

Children at Inpres Lewoneda Elementary School in Mudakeputu Village, Ile Mandiri District, East Flores, enjoyed a lunch together featuring local food on Monday (5/3). The plan for free lunch programs in schools should not worsen the national standardization of rice consumption by eliminating the variety of local food sources.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS – A recent study shows that a healthy and balanced diet influences brain health, cognitive function and better mental well-being. This study also highlights the importance of public policy in promoting healthy eating options that are easily accessible and affordable to the public.

Ruohan Zhang from the Department of Computer Science, University of Warwick, UK, is the first author of the study published in the April 2024 issue of Nature Mental Health. are Professor Jiang Feng from the University of Warwick and Wei Chang from the Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, China.

In this study, researchers analyzed the food choices of 181,990 samples in the UK Biobank. The researchers then conducted a series of physical evaluations, including cognitive function, blood metabolism biomarkers, brain imaging, and genetics, to reveal new insights into the relationship between nutrition and well-being in all beings.

Each participant's food preferences were collected via an online questionnaire, which the team then categorized into 10 groups (such as alcohol, fruit and meat). Artificial intelligence-based machine learning helps researchers analyze large data sets.

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RIZA FATHONI

Actor Muhammad Khan enjoyed a lunch consisting of organic salad and boiled vegetables on the balcony of his apartment in the Dharmawangsa area of South Jakarta, to be shared on his social media account on Friday (3/9/2021).

Study findings

It was found that a balanced diet led to better mental health, better cognitive function, and even a higher amount of gray matter in the brain—which is linked to intelligence— compared to those whose diet is less varied.

The study also highlights the need for gradually modifying eating habits, especially for individuals who are accustomed to highly delicious but nutritionally deficient food. By gradually reducing sugar and fat intake over time, individuals may naturally be drawn to healthier food options.

Scientists believe that genetic factors can also contribute to the relationship between diet patterns and brain health. This shows how the combination of genetic tendencies and lifestyle choices shape wellbeing.

With this finding, researchers emphasize the importance of establishing a preference for healthy eating from an early age. "Developing a healthy and balanced diet from an early age is very important for healthy growth. To promote the development of a healthy and balanced diet, both families and schools must offer a variety of nutritious foods and cultivate an environment that supports their physical and mental health," said Jiang Feng.

This study supports the urgent need for government action in optimizing the quality of children's food to protect the health and lives of future generations.

Addressing the broader implications of the research, Feng emphasized the role of public policy in promoting accessible and affordable healthy eating options. ”Because dietary choices can be influenced by socioeconomic status, it is important to ensure that this does not prevent individuals from adopting a healthy and balanced eating pattern profile,” he said.

Wei Cheng added that this finding highlights the relationship between diet and brain health. This study also urges joint efforts to increase nutritional awareness and promote healthier eating habits in various populations.

Richard Pemberton, a certified lifestyle physician and GP at Hexagon Health who was not involved in this research, stated in a release issued by University of Warwick that this interesting study further shows that poor eating habits have negative impacts not only on our physical health, but also on our mental and brain health.

Also read: Consume Healthy Food

This study supports the urgent need for the government to optimize the quality of children's food in order to protect the health and lives of future generations. "We also hope that this provides further evidence to motivate us all to make better lifestyle choices, to improve our health and reduce the risk of chronic diseases," said Pemberton.