So, something I never really considered before in the past is how much diet really affects the body. From even the most basic understanding, it's clear our body needs nutrients to survive, but what about our mental health?

Most of the neurotransmitters, which play vital roles in mental health and are the action site of psychotropic drugs, are synthesized by our body. However the precursors are required from food. Specifically, tryptophan (found in chicken, eggs, cheese, fish etc.) is the amino acid that is the basis for serotonin -- a neurotransmitter associated with mood (and the site for many antidepressants), and tyrosine (found in similar foods as tryptophan) is the precursor for both norepinephrine and dopamine.



Serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine are the three big ones you work with when you think about mental health medicines (among other). Most medicines which come to mind are antidepressants (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors [SSRIs], Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors [SNRIs], Wellbutrin is a Norepinephrine-Dopamine Reuptake Inhibitor [NDRI]).


Anyway, staying on track here (it's hard for me not to add in bits of information I find fascinating that aren't exactly related to the topic) -- So the basic idea behind neurotransmitters are they are associated with specific thing (reward, mood, sleep, appetite etc) and act on receptors to cause some response in another neuron. Reuptake is a natural process of removing neurotransmitters from the synapse and back into cell (thus not acting on the receptors anymore). Inhibitors of this action makes the neurotransmitter stay in the synaptic cleft longer and act on the receptors more. That's the whole idea behind how those drugs work... but if you don't have the basic building blocks to create sufficient neurotransmitters....?

You see the dynamic issue with diet? I just found it incredibly interesting and something I've never really considered before in that way. I've always heard and understood "Eat right, you feel better" -- but this really does kind of put it into a mental health perspective of why it may be just that important.



Point being? You gotta give yourself every bit of credit you can to do the best you can and be the best you can be. I for one will try to ensure I'm getting adequate nutrition not only for my mental health, but physical health too!

[and maybe I'll go on a rant on sleep hygiene another time. lol]

Hope someone found this helpful or at least interesting. I know I did!


To be clear -- I don't know how easily one obtains said amino acids in a diet (It could be for all I know like how no one really has to work at getting their sodium intake for a day, it may be the same here -- but it's just putting into play the actual reason why our body needs food. Why we utilize the energy it provides. I find it fascinating). I'm just saying a healthy diet is beneficial all around, and makes sense that all parts of your well-being are dependent on it!