Post: Depression and diet

By Deb Risden

In a poll conducted of 2,200 adults in March 2023, the American Psychological Association found 66% said they feel knowledgeable about the relationship between diet and mental health; 81% would be willing to change their diet to improve their mental health.

According to the APA, “More Americans say work (70%), family stress (68%), exercise (65%) and social habits (61%) have a more significant impact on their mental health compared to their diet (58%).

The Mayo Clinic defines depression as “a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. Also called major depressive disorder or clinical depression, it affects how you feel, think and behave and can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems. You may have trouble doing normal day-to-day activities, and sometimes you may feel as if life isn’t worth living.”

Alexandria Kurtz, D.O., who is with Meah Modern Psychiatry in Colorado Springs, is a board-certified psychiatrist specializing in integrative and nutritional psychiatry. Kurtz said the field of nutritional psychiatry is gaining traction as people are recognizing the importance of what we eat and the impact on brain health, which has been supported by research studies. It’s food that breaks down into the nutrients our bodies need to make serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine, chemicals our bodies naturally produce that are targeted with depression medications. “If we can target these through nutrition, we can get that good foundation for brain health.” Alexandria Kurtz, D.O., a board-certified psychiatrist specializing in integrative and nutritional psychiatry Explaining the mechanism of nutrition and brain health, including depression, Kurtz said, “The brain is always ‘on’ and does so much work for us. It needs a lot of fuel. We get our fuel from food that the body breaks down into carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals. These macro- and micronutrients are so crucial for all the biochemical reactions that have to happen to keep the body and brain running as it should. They form the building blocks for neurotransmitters, which are what we need to regulate mood.” She said it’s food that breaks down into the nutrients our […]

Depression and diet