Influence of diet on mental health and cognitive performance – a literature review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v13i6.46103Keywords:
Mental health; Mental disorders; Cognitive function; Diet; Nutrition.Abstract
Understanding the relationship between food choices and mental health has gained prominence in a global context marked by increasing challenges such as stress, anxiety, and depression. This study investigated this connection, examining how diet impacts not only physical health but also mental health. Thus, the aim of this work was to demonstrate the relationship between diet and mental health, focusing on the role of nutrients in promoting psychological well-being and enhancing cognitive performance. This study is a literature review and sought to synthesize and analyze previous research on the influence of diet on mental health and cognitive performance. The approach is exploratory and aims to consolidate evidence to enrich understanding of the topic. The methodology adopted consists of a systematic literature review, with a comprehensive analysis of studies published in scientific databases such as SCIELO, PUBMED and SCIENCE DIRECT. The research prioritized scientific articles, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses that address the relationship between diet, lifestyle, mental health, and cognitive performance. The critical analysis of these studies contributes to achieving the proposed objectives, providing a comprehensive and updated view of the field. Studies, in general, demonstrate that diets rich in saturated fats and sugar can impair brain performance, altering the functioning of the hippocampus and compromising functions such as memory and learning. Furthermore, it shows how proper nutrition is directly linked to the prevention of mental health disorders and brain functioning.
References
Arida, R. M., & Machado, L. T. (2021). The Contribution of Physical Exercise to Brain Resilience. Frontiers Behavioral Neuroscience, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2020.626769
Arnoso, B. J. de M., Costa, G. F. D., & Schmidt, B. (2019). Biodisponibilidade E Classificação De Compostos Fenólicos. Nutrição Brasil, 18(1), 39. https://doi.org/10.33233/nb.v18i1.1432
Attuquayefio, T., Stevenson, R. J., Oaten, M. J., & Francis, H. M. (2017). A four-day Western-style dietary intervention causes reductions in hippocampal-dependent learning and memory and interoceptive sensitivity. PLOS ONE, 12(2), e0172645. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0172645
Baklizi, G. S., Bruce, B. C., & Santos, A. C. de C. P. (2021). Neuronutrição na depressão e transtorno de ansiedade. Research, Society and Development, 10(17), e52101724454. https://doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v10i17.24454
Brizola, J., & Fantin, N. (2016). Revisão da literatura e revisão sistemática da literatura. Revista de Educação Do Vale Do Arinos - RELVA, 3(2). https://periodicos.unemat.br/index.php/relva/article/view/1738
Caroni, D., Rodrigues, J. S., & Santos, A. L. (2023). Influência Da Alimentação Na Prevenção E Tratamento Do Alzheimer: Uma Revisão Integrativa. Research, Society and Development, 12(5), e14812541677. https://doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v12i5.41677
Corrêa, C. R. G. L., Sales, D. N., Cheaitou, M. S., Rodrigues, S. D., & Boechat, V. D. P. (2021). Síndrome Metabólica E Transtorno Depressivo. Revista Multidisciplinar Em Saúde, 2(2), 36. https://doi.org/10.51161/rems/978
Dauncey, M. J. (2012). Recent Advances in nutrition, Genes and Brain Health. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 71(4), 581–591. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0029665112000237
Durazzo, T. C., Meyerhoff, D. J., & Nixon, S. J. (2010). Chronic Cigarette Smoking: Implications for Neurocognition and Brain Neurobiology. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 7(10), 3760–3791. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph7103760
Fonseca, E. N. D., Piedade, A. B. T., & Silva, M. C. D. (2022). O estudo do eixo intestino-cérebro e sua influência emdoenças neurodegenerativas - uma revisão de literatura. Research, Society and Development, 11(16). https://doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v11i16.38185
Freeman, M. P., & Rapaport, M. H. (2011). Omega-3 fatty acids and depression: From cellular mechanisms to clinical care. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 72(02), 258–259. https://doi.org/10.4088/jcp.11ac06830
Gonçalves, J. R. (2019). Como Escrever Um Artigo De Revisão De Literatura. Revista JRG de Estudos Acadêmicos, 2(2), 29–55. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4319105
Grajek, M., Krupa-Kotara, K., Białek-Dratwa, A., Sobczyk, K., Grot, M., Kowalski, O., & Staskiewicz, W. (2022). Nutrition and mental health: A review of current knowledge about the impact of diet on mental health. Frontiers in Nutrition, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2022.943998
Jacka, F. N., Cherbuin, N., Anstey, K. J., Sachdev, P., & Butterworth, P. (2015). Western diet is associated with a smaller hippocampus: a longitudinal investigation. BMC Medicine, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-015-0461-x
Jorge, A. K. B., Pacheco, A. F. C., & Moreira, R. V. (2019). Psiquiatria nutricional: a Influência Da Alimentação Na Saúde Mental. Principais Transtornos Psíquicos Na Contemporaneidade, 2, 103–112. https://brasilmulticultural.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/ebook-Principais-transtornos-psiquicos_V-2.pdf
Júnior, H. P. D. L., & Lemos, A. L. A. D. (2010). Vitamina B1. Diagn. Tratamento, 15(2), 69–70.
Krznarić, Ž., Karas, I., Kelečić, D. L., & Bender, D. V. (2021). The Mediterranean and Nordic Diet: a Review of Differences and Similarities of Two Sustainable, Health-Promoting Dietary Patterns. Frontiers in Nutrition, 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2021.683678
Landeiro, J. A. V. R. (2016). Impacto Da Microbiota Intestinal Na Saúde Mental. Egas Moniz School of Health & Science, Almada, Portugal.
Lane, M. M., Gamage, E., Travica, N., Dissanayaka, T., Ashtree, D. N., Gauci, S., Lotfaliany, M., O’Neil, A., Jacka, F. N., & Marx, W. (2022). Ultra-Processed food consumption and mental health: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. Nutrients, 14(13), 2568. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14132568
Larrieu, T., & Layé, S. (2018). Food for Mood: Relevance of Nutritional Omega-3 Fatty Acids for Depression and Anxiety. Frontiers in Physiology, 9(1047). https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2018.01047
Lima, M. E. M., Souza, L. de S., Silva, D. L., Freitas, F. M. N. de O., & Lobo, R. H. (2022). Relação Entre Microbiota Intestinal E Doença mental: a Depressão. Research, Society and Development, 11(12). https://doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v11i12.34886
Limbana, T., Khan, F., & Eskander, N. (2020). Gut Microbiome and Depression: How Microbes Affect the Way We Think. Cureus, 12(8). https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.9966
Liu, X., Morris, M. C., Dhana, K., Ventrelle, J., Johnson, K., Bishop, L., Hollings, C. S., Boulin, A., Laranjo, N., Stubbs, B. J., Reilly, X., Carey, V. J., Wang, Y., Furtado, J. D., Marcovina, S. M., Tangney, C., Aggarwal, N. T., Arfanakis, K., Sacks, F. M., & Barnes, L. L. (2021). Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) study: Rationale, Design and Baseline Characteristics of a Randomized Control Trial of the MIND Diet on Cognitive Decline. Contemporary Clinical Trials, 102, 106270. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cct.2021.106270
Marshall, N. E., Abrams, B., Barbour, L. A., Catalano, P., Christian, P., Friedman, J. E., Hay, W. W., Hernandez, T. L., Krebs, N. F., Oken, E., Purnell, J. Q., Roberts, J. M., Soltani, H., Wallace, J., & Thornburg, K. L. (2022). The importance of nutrition in pregnancy and lactation: Lifelong consequences. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 226(5), 607–632. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2021.12.035
Martins, A. L. P., & Lima, A. A. (2018). Perfil Da Microbiota Residente Intestinal E Sua Relação Com a Depressão. Centro Universitário de Brasília, Brasília.
Nascimento, A. G., Soares, K. C. M., Souza, L. S. de, Jardim, M. T. S., Chaves, R. R., & Souza, C. L. S. e. (2022). Os Impactos Do Estresse E Ansiedade Na imunidade: Uma Revisão Narrativa. Revista Eletrônica Acervo Saúde, 15(12), p. e11330. https://acervomais.com.br/index.php/saude/article/view/11330/6731
Nutt, D., Hayes, A., Fonville, L., Zafar, R., Palmer, E. O. C., Paterson, L., & Lingford-Hughes, A. (2021). Alcohol and the Brain. Nutrients, 13(11), 3938. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13113938
Parletta, N., Zarnowiecki, D., Cho, J., Wilson, A., Bogomolova, S., Villani, A., Itsiopoulos, C., Niyonsenga, T., Blunden, S., Meyer, B., Segal, L., Baune, B. T., & O’Dea, K. (2017). A Mediterranean-style Dietary Intervention Supplemented with Fish Oil Improves Diet Quality and Mental Health in People with depression: a Randomized Controlled Trial (HELFIMED). Nutritional Neuroscience, 22(7), 474–487. https://doi.org/10.1080/1028415x.2017.1411320
Pereira, T. M. M. (2023). Interação Entre O Eixo Intestino-Cérebro E Saúde Mental. UNIPAC, Juiz de Fora.
Puri, S., Shaheen, M., & Grover, B. (2023). Nutrition and Cognitive Health: a Life Course Approach. Frontiers in Public Health, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1023907
Rebouças, F. da C., Barbosa, L. L., Nascimento, L. F. do , Ferreira, J. C. de S., & Freitas, F. M. N. de O. (2022). A Influência Da Nutrição No Tratamento E Prevenção Dos Transtornos mentais: Ansiedade E Depressão. Research, Society and Development, 11(15). https://doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v11i15.37078
Reichelt, A. C., Stoeckel, L. E., Reagan, L. P., Winstanley, C. A., & Page, K. A. (2018). Dietary Influences on Cognition. Physiology & Behavior, 192, 118–126.
Rusch, J. A., Layden, B. T., & Dugas, L. R. (2023). Signalling cognition: the Gut Microbiota and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal Axis. Frontiers in Endocrinology, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2023.1130689
Schuster, J., Marcadenti De Oliveira, A., Morelo, S., & Bosco, D. (2015). O Papel Da Nutrição Na Prevenção E No Tratamento De Doenças Cardiovasculares E Metabólicas. Revista Da Sociedade de Cardiologia Do Estado Do Rio Grande Do Sul, 28. https://www.socergs.org.br/arquivos/125/2015-Nutricao-II.pdf
Sofi, F., Cesari, F., Abbate, R., Gensini, G. F., & Casini, A. (2008). Adherence to Mediterranean Diet and Health status: meta-analysis. BMJ, 337(sep11 2), a1344–a1344. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.a1344
Souzedo, F. B., Bizarro, L., & Pereira, A. P. A. de. (2020). O eixo intestino-cérebro e sintomas depressivos: uma revisão sistemática dos ensaios clínicos randomizados com probióticos. Jornal Brasileiro de Psiquiatria, 69(4), 269–276. https://doi.org/10.1590/0047-2085000000285
Spencer, S. J., Korosi, A., Layé, S., Shukitt-Hale, B., & Barrientos, R. M. (2017). Food for thought: How Nutrition Impacts Cognition and Emotion. Npj Science of Food, 1(7). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41538-017-0008-y
Strandwitz, P. (2018). Neurotransmitter Modulation by the Gut Microbiota. Brain Research, 1693(Pt B), 128–133. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brainres.2018.03.015
Tang, W., Zhu, H., Feng, Y., Guo, R., & Wan, D. (2020). The Impact of Gut Microbiota Disorders on the Blood–Brain Barrier. Infection and Drug Resistance, Volume 13, 3351–3363. https://doi.org/10.2147/idr.s254403
Tonini, I. G. de O., Vaz, D. S. S., & Mazur, C. E. (2020). Eixo intestino-cérebro: Relação Entre a Microbiota Intestinal E Desordens Mentais. Research, Society and Development, 9(7), e499974303. https://doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v9i7.4303
Tucker, Z., & O’Malley, C. (2022). Mental health benefits of breastfeeding: A literature review. Cureus, 14(9). https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.29199
Vasconcellos, B. C., Oliveira, B. L., Ingunza, B. Q., & Scotti-Muzzi, E. (2023). Relação entre transtorno depressivo maior e a microbiota intestinal. Revista Multidisciplinar Em Saúde, 4(3). https://doi.org/10.51161/conais2023/20960
Vasques, M. A. A., & Fonseca, E. D. B. M. (2018). Estresse oxidativo, Exercício Físico E Saúde Encefálica. Revista de Medicina E Saúde de Brasília, 7(1).
Vaz, D. S. S., Guerra, F. M. R. M., Gomes, C. F., Simão, A. N. C., & Júnior, J. M. (2014). A Importância Do Ômega 3 Para a Saúde Humana: Um Estudo De Revisão. Revista UNINGÁ Review, 20(2), 48–54. https://www.mastereditora.com.br/periodico/20141103_154429.pdf
Vieira, T. R. H. (2022). Relação Do Eixo Microbiota-Intestino-Cérebro Nos Sintomas De Ansiedade E Depressão Com O Consumo De Fibras Dietéticas: Revisão De Literatura. Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande Do Sul, Porto Alegre.
World Health Organization. (2019). Healthy diet (No. WHO-EM/NUT/282/E). World Health Organization. Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean.
World Health Organization. (2022). Transforming mental health for all. World Health Organization. Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean
Yeum, T.-S., Maggiolo, N. S., Gupta, C. T., Davis, B. J., Nierenberg, A. A., & Sylvia, L. G. (2018). Adjunctive Nutrition Therapy for Depression. Psychiatric Annals, 49(1), 21–25.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Pedro Henrique Gadelha de Araújo; Arthur Oliveira Duarte; Maria Cláudia da Silva
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
1) Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
2) Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
3) Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
