Diet significantly contributes to brain volumes and the cognitive evolution of humankind. There is a strong connection between diet and mental health, emphasizing the importance of a balanced and nutritious diet for optimal mental well-being and this impact may be even more pronounced in women. According to research women may need a more nutrient-rich diet to support a positive emotional well-being.
Growing research indicates that a person’s vulnerability to mental illness is determined by physical and functional differences between the brains of men and women.
The contribution of dietary patterns on gender-specific psychological well-being, however, is little understood.
To investigate this matter, a group of researchers led by Lina Begdache, assistant professor of health and wellness studies at Binghamton University, used social media to administer an anonymous survey to 563 participants (of whom 52% were women and 48% were men).
Women are at a greater risk of mental distress when compared to men
Men are more likely to experience mental well-being up until dietary inadequacies occur, according to research by Begdache and her colleagues.
Unless they adopt a healthy lifestyle with a balanced diet, women are less likely to enjoy mental well-being.
Begdache claims that these findings may help to clarify findings from earlier research that highlight the need of a nutrient-dense diet for mental health and indicate that women are more likely than males to experience mental anguish.
“The biggest takeaway is that women may need a larger spectrum of nutrients to support mood, compared to men,” said Begdache.
“These findings may explain the reason why women are twice more likely to be diagnosed with anxiety and depression and suffer from longer episodes, compared to men. Today’s diet is high in energy but poor in key nutrients that support brain anatomy and functionality.”
Diet contributes significantly to brain volume and cognitive evolution
According to Begdache, there is evidence that the high-energy, high-nutrient food of our ancestors played a significant role in the evolution of human cognition and brain sizes.
“Males and females had different physical and emotional responsibilities that may have necessitated different energy requirements and food preferences,” she said. “Thus, gender-based differential food and energy intake may explain the differential brain volumes and connectivity between females and males. Therefore, a potential mismatch is happening between our contemporary diet and the evolved human brain which is disturbing the normal functionality of certain systems in the brain.
Story Source:
Materials provided by Binghamton University. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:
Lina Begdache, Hamed Kianmehr, Nasim Sabounchi, Maher Chaar, Jade Marhaba. Principal component analysis identifies differential gender-specific dietary patterns that may be linked to mental distress in human adults. Nutritional Neuroscience, 2018; 1 DOI: 10.1080/1028415X.2018.1500198
Page citation:
Binghamton University. “Diet has bigger impact on emotional well-being in women than in men.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 27 August 2018. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180827080914.htm>.
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