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Jacob Fields

ENG-1201

Caroline Reynolds

May 2nd, 2021

How does Food Affect our Mental and Physical Health?

Seventy five percent of the food that is consumed globally is from only twelve

plants and five animals (Elton). This statistic is very alarming. A large majority of people

don’t actually know what is inside the food they eat. Without knowing exactly what we

are eating, do we know how the food we eat is affecting our mental and physical health?

While most people know the basics about food and health such as, eating sugary foods

will increase the amount of fat on the body, a huge margin of people don’t know how

food will affect mental health.

Humans have a GI tract, also known as the gastrointestinal tract, a series of

organs, such as the mouth, stomach, anus, and a few others (11 Digestive System

Parts, Definition, Functions, and Organs). These organs are twisted together to create a

pathway that leads from the mouth to the anus. This pathway is the route that food and

nutrients will take to either be digested or absorbed. The food travels from the mouth to

the esophagus, into the stomach, and finally into the small and large intestine. The GI

tract will absorb the water and the nutrients that the body needs to fuel itself and send

the leftover food to be digested. The GI tract also houses billions of bacteria. This
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bacteria works to produce chemical compounds, such as dopamine, a neurotransmitter

that is released into the brain when a feeling of motivation or reinforcement is present

(Pietrangelo). So how does food affect mental health?

A neurotransmitter known as GABA, which stands for Gamma Aminobutyric Acid,

will block impulses between nerve cells in the brain (Stuart). Having a low level of GABA

has been linked to anxiety, mood disorders, epilepsy, and chronic pain. Many people

will take GABA as a supplement in order to improve the effects of ADHD and PMS.

People also take GABA as a way to improve mood, anxiety, and sleep (Stuart). While

these examples have been for people taking GABA as a supplement, foods also contain

the neurotransmitter. Foods such as fruits, vegetables, red wine, and tea all contain the

coveted Gamma Aminobutyric Acid (Stuart). While this neurotransmitter is present to

improve anxiety and sleep, there are also foods and drinks that negatively affect mental

health. Soda is a common drink that countless amounts of people intake daily. Soft

drinks are a staple for going out to dinner or the movie theatre, but studies show that

these drinks could lead to schizophrenia, depression, and anxiety. A research that was

done tested 2,929 5 year old children (Morin). These tests showed that soft drink

consumption at a young age was actually linked to more aggressive behavior in the

children. The results were proven when the children who consumed four or more soft

drinks per day were twice as likely to have aggressive behavior. This behavior included

breaking other people’s belongings, getting into fights, or attacking people. The

researchers for this study are not positive as to why the soft drinks had a negative effect

on these children but the researchers hypothesize that the negative effect could be

linked to how highly processed soft drinks are or it could even be low glucose levels that
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caused the children to crave soda and become aggressive in order to receive more.

Eating healthier can also help with sleeping. It is recommended that you intake a

wide variety of fruits and vegetables in order to improve both the amount of sleep and

the quality of sleep (Suni). High carbohydrate meals are well known to make people feel

drowsy and tired but they also affect the quality of sleep for the consumer. High

carbohydrate meals have been proven to increase the amount of awakenings during

sleep (Suni). While carbohydrates will cause a negative effect on sleep, eating food that

contains the amino acid, Tryptophan will give a positive effect. Tryptophan is an amino

acid that cannot be produced by the human body. This means that the only way to

receive Tryptophan is either through medication or eating food. Tryptophan is found

mostly in animal or plant based protein sources. But what makes this amino acid so

special? Tryptophan increases the level of the “happy hormone”, also known as

serotonin (Perretta, 2021). Serotonin is produced in the nerve cells and is found mostly

in the digestive system. A lack of Serotonin or Tryptophan can lead to many bad things

such as anxiety or depression. A regular amount of Serotonin is very healthy for the

body and can have many different positive effects such as, reducing anxiety, stimulating

nausea, and maintaining bone health. Although Serotonin has a very positive effect on

our mood, increased levels brought on by medication can cause blood clotting. Some

other negative effects that Serotonin can have on the body is nausea and diarrhea.

When Serotonin is produced, it rises in order to push out upsetting foods which causes

diarrhea. The same happens in the blood, the Serotonin increases and stimulates the

part of the brain which ultimately will cause nausea (Scaccia). With the negative side

effects of Serotonin aside, the positive effects of this chemical are similar to GABA
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because it helps by making you less anxious, but it is also different in the way that it

creates a calming feeling that makes people happier, calmer and more focused. It has

also been proven that people with depression often have lowered amounts of serotonin

in their body. This was proven in a study that was done with mice. The researchers

used mice that did not produce serotonin naturally and added serotonin to their brains.

The mice had less anxiety and less depression like behavior (Nautiyal).

Mental health is extremely important in order to live a healthy life, but physical

health is just as important. Not only eating the proper foods, but also eating the correct

amount of food will directly affect how your body looks and how healthy it actually is. It

is important to eat a substantial amount of food everyday in order to get the nutrients

and energy that your body needs to function and thrive. Physical health is compromised

when the amount of calories that is taken in is greater than the amount of calories that

are burnt throughout the day. This will cause a build up in fat that causes the body and

especially the stomach to look bigger. In order to burn the calories it is necessary to

burn more calories than what is taken in which causes the stored up body fat to be

converted into energy. This leads to weight loss, but this can also be very unhealthy for

certain people. If a person is already underweight and burns more calories than what is

taken in, it becomes a big problem. When this process continues day after day, it

becomes a medical issue. This is called anorexia and it is common amongst teenagers

and young adults. People who suffer from anorexia care deeply about how skinny they

look and they are do not eat the recommended amount of food in fear of gaining too

much weight in the process. Anorexia is an eating disorder that is incredibly unhealthy
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for the body. Anyone that suffers from this disorder should seek medical attention as

soon as possible.

Some of the best ways to obtain and keep a healthy weight are exercising, eating

five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, and always making sure to eat breakfast in

the morning (TeensHealth). Eating fruits and vegetables is incredibly important to keep

a healthy weight because fruits and vegetables contain vitamins and minerals that are

very healthy for the body. Eating breakfast everyday is also super beneficial to a healthy

weight. This is because eating breakfast in the morning is a great way to get your

metabolism going and start burning calories, giving you more energy throughout the

day. Exercising is another great way to have a healthy weight because it helps to burn

calories and build muscle. Exercise is not all about going to the gym, in fact many

people workout with no equipment at all. Exercise can be anything from going on a walk

to skateboarding. Doing something active every day really helps to keep a healthy

weight.

Exercise is one of the most important things to do in order to keep your body

healthy. There are short term benefits of regular exercise and there are also long term

benefits. Some of the few short term effects are the increased amounts of heart

contractions which ultimately gets more oxygen in your lungs and gets more blood

flowing throughout the body. Although there are not all that many short term effects,

there are a lot more long term effects that are very beneficial to the human body. Some

of these benefits include increased efficiency of the lungs and heart, longer deeper

breaths are possible, a decreased resting heart rate and mostly importantly a reduced

risk of heart disease (New England Baptist Hospital).

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Some of the best exercises to keep your body healthy include things like

swimming, tai chi and even just walking. Swimming is a great choice of exercise

because it has a unique feature, the buoyancy of the water causes less stress on joints,

which makes you less likely to get injured or have joint pain when compared to

exercises such as running or weight lifting. Tai chi is another very unique form of

exercise that is super beneficial to both the mind and the body. This exercise goes

through many different motions that cause the body to move in very fluid, often circular

motions. These motions are usually named after animal poses or martial arts moves

(Harvard Health Publishing). When doing this exercise the body goes from one motion

to another without interruption. Breathing is another important part of tai chi. Breathing

deeply and naturally causes you to let your mind focus its attention on the body

movements. Tai chi is also very inclusive and anyone can start at any time. It is a very

adaptable exercise and can even be used by people in wheelchairs. While tai chi allows

for wheelchair bound people to participate, walking is not as inclusive, but what walking

lacks in inclusivity it makes up for in simplicity. Walking is potentially the most basic

form of exercise there is. Walking is so simple yet so effective in so many different ways

such as keeping blood pressure in check, strengthening bones and improving

cholesterol levels. Walking is a very easy exercise that can easily be added into almost

any daily routine.

Another important thing to consider after starting a daily workout plan is eating

more than normal on the days that you work out. This is very important seeing as when

working out, some of the muscle proteins get broken down and can sometimes get

damaged. After a workout your body will eventually repair the muscles that were broken
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down but eating the correct foods after a workout will cause this process to move faster

than before. Consuming protein is a great way to rebuild the muscle proteins due to the

amino acids that protein contains. The recommended amount of protein intake after a

workout is 0.14-0.25 grams of protein per pound of body weight (Semeco). Some foods

that contain protein and are good for a post workout meal are eggs, salmon, tuna,

chicken and many others. Foods that contain lots of carbs are another great option for a

post workout snack. Carbs are very helpful in replenishing your body’s glycogen stores.

Glycogen stores are where our body stores the leftover glucose. These stores are left in

the liver and the muscles. Consuming 0.5-0.7 grams of carbs per pound is the

recommended amount to consume within 30 minutes of working out (Semeco). Foods

that contain carbs include potatoes, chocolate milk, pasta, rice and lots more. Lastly,

consuming some fat with your post workout meal is surprisingly beneficial for your

recovery. A study was done in order to compare and contrast the muscle growth

between whole milk and skim milk (Elliot). The study showed that the people who drank

whole milk after a workout had better muscle growth than the people who drank skim

milk. This was because when the skim milk was compared to the whole milk, the whole

milk had more amino acids that the body could use to replenish the muscles. Proving

that some fat in a post workout meal might actually be beneficial. Some foods that are

good for a post workout meal and also have a little fat in them are avocados, nuts and

trail mix.

It is a common belief that only working on physical health is all that is necessary

to be healthy, but when someone only works out and never works on their mental health

by eating the proper foods, then they are working harder than they need to. If that
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person had been eating properly, then Serotonin and GABA would be present in their

body and would make them happier, less anxious, have less nausea, and would have

so many other positive mental health effects that are obtained through eating the proper

foods. The food that goes in our bodies is the fuel that powers our bodies and without

that fuel, we can’t run.

In conclusion, the foods that we consume can and will affect our mental and

physical health in a positive or negative way and that all depends on the food that we

put into our bodies. Some of the positive effects of eating healthy foods include less

anxiety and statistically a happier life. A few effects of not eating healthy food can cause

weight gain, depression, aggression and more. You only get one body, how will you use

yours?
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Works Cited

“5 Ways to Reach a Healthy Weight (for Teens) - Nemours KidsHealth.”

TeensHealth, Oct. 2016, https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/weight-tips.html.

“11 Digestive System Parts, Definition, Functions, and Organs.” MedicineNet, 16

Oct. 2019,

www.medicinenet.com/the_digestion_process_organs_and_functions/artic

le.htm.

Elliot, Tabatha. “Milk Ingestion Stimulates Net Muscle Protein Synthesis

Following Resistance Exercise.” PubMed, Apr. 2006,

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16679981.

Elton, Jordan. “14 Surprising Stats about Global Food Consumption.” ONE, 9

Jan. 2019, www.one.org/us/blog/14-surprising-stats-about-global-food-

consumption.

Harvard Health Publishing. “5 of the Best Exercises You Can Ever Do.” Harvard

Health, 7 July 2020, www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/5-of-the-

best-exercises-you-can-ever-do.
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Harvard Health Publishing “The Health Benefits of Tai Chi.” Harvard Health, 20

Aug. 2019, www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-health-benefits-of-

tai-chi

Morin, Amy. “Why There Is a Surprising Danger of Soda for Children.” Verywell

Mind, 22 Mar. 2021, www.verywellmind.com/link-between-soft-drinks-and-

aggression-4119793.

Nautiyal, Katherine. “A Lack of Serotonin 1B Autoreceptors Results in Decreased

Anxiety and Depression-Related Behaviors.” PubMed, 29 June 2016,

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27353308.

Perretta, Lorraine. “5 Ways Nutrition Affects Mental Health.” Nutritionist

Resource, 16 Mar. 2021, www.nutritionist-

resource.org.uk/blog/2021/03/10/5-ways-nutrition-affects-mental-health.

Pietrangelo, Ann. “How Does Dopamine Affect the Body.” Healthline, 5 Nov.

2019, www.healthline.com/health/dopamine-effects.

Scaccia, Annamarya. “Serotonin: What You Need to Know.” Healthline, 19 Aug.

2020, www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/serotonin#functions.

Semeco, Arlene. “Post-Workout Nutrition: What to Eat After a Workout.”

Healthline, 20 Sept. 2016, www.healthline.com/nutrition/eat-after-

workout#TOC_TITLE_HDR_3.
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“Short and Long Term Effects of Exercise on the Cardiovascular System –.” New

England Baptist Hospital, 4 Feb. 2015, www.nebh.org/blog/short-and-long-

term-effects-of-exercise-on-the-cardiovascular-system.

Stuart, Annie. “GABA (Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid).” WebMD, 31 Jan. 2013,

www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/gaba-uses-and-risks

Suni, Eric. “Nutrition and Sleep.” Sleep Foundation, 6 Nov. 2020,

www.sleepfoundation.org/nutrition.