Psych Congress keynote: What you eat affects how you feel

NEW ORLEANS — In a keynote address here at Psych Congress, Timothy S. Harlan, MD, FAPC, of Tulane University, discussed the importance of nutrition in neurocognition and mental health.

Citing data from the CDC, Harlan explained that 8.3% of Americans have diabetes; 1 in 3 have hypertension; and 140,000 stroke deaths occur each year.

“We’ve got a problem in America today,” he said.

In addition to physical health issues, nutrition has been linked to mental health issues in various studies.

One such study of 8,964 individuals indicated those who consumed fast food or highly processed foods had a 30% to 40% increased risk for depression. This finding has been replicated in another study conducted in London, according to Harlan.

Research has also signaled associations between the Western diet and Alzheimer’s disease, while a diet high in refined carbohydrates has been shown to contribute to obesity and type 2 diabetes. Further, individuals with diabetes were 1.5 times more likely to experience symptoms of dementia, cognitive impairment and increased cognitive decline.

These findings reference the effect of sugars, as hyperglycemia can lead to an accumulation of toxic metabolites and decreased metabolic cofactors, which increases the rate of oxidative stress, according to Harlan.

“The other piece of this may be in high-fat diets, both saturated and trans fats,” Harlan said. “... More and more we’re thinking this actually has to do with trans fats, as we’re seeing a big shift in how we view saturated fat these days. [Saturated fats] probably are not the evil twin. The evil twin was actually trans fats in our diets from the mid-1960s through the mid-1990s before we began to see a downregulation [of trans fats] and then trans fats being outlawed.”

ADHD has also been linked with obesity and poor diet. Several studies have demonstrated associations between ADHD and increased consumption of a Western diet high in total and saturated fat and refined sugars; high omega-6 to omega-3 ratio and decreased consumption of nutritious foods such as fish, vegetables and whole grains; and micronutrient-poor diets.

To combat this, Harlan recommends following a Mediterranean diet, which includes vegetables, legumes, fruits and nuts, cereals and whole grains, fish, oils and fats, lower amounts of dairy and meat, and alcohol.

He encouraged clinicians to ask patients about their eating habits. If they snack on potato chips, suggest that they choose nuts instead. This will satisfy their salt craving and reduce their intake of processed foods.

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If they have a habit of visiting Subway for lunch every day, or every few days, suggest that they make a simple peanut butter and jelly sandwich on whole grain bread.

“This is about taking Mediterranean diet principles and translating them into the American kitchen,” Harlan said.

To close the session, Leah Sarris, RD, LDN, of The Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine, New Orleans, demonstrated how to prepare a Mediterranean diet-friendly meal: white fish tacos with corn salsa and a spinach, berry and parmesan salad. – by Amanda Oldt

Reference:

Harlan TS, et al. Neurocognition of food: Culinary medicine and the role of food in psychiatry. Presented at: U.S. Psychiatric and Mental Health Congress; Sept. 16-19, 2017; New Orleans.

Disclosure: Harlan reports no relevant financial disclosures.