What exactly is nutritional psychology?

What exactly is nutritional psychology?

When it comes to healthy eating, many people turn to nutritionists. After all, these specialists are trained to understand how certain foods affect your body and what type of nutrients you need to stay healthy (among many other things, of course). But practicing good nutrition obviously means more than just eating certain foods. It's also about how you view food, the choices you make, and how those foods impact your overall well-being - and that's just scratching the surface.

While a good nutritionist can help you in all of these areas, there is also a field that focuses solely on the mental aspects of eating and the effects of food on your brain, called nutritional psychology. Never heard of it? Both don't have many people - but it's time to change that. Here's what you need to know about nutritional psychology and its focus on "brain food."

Nutritional psychology and nutritional psychiatry, explained

First things first: Nutritional psychology is a relatively new field of study, and therefore the exact definition is somewhat vague. Nevertheless, the American Psychological Association describes nutritional psychology as an interdisciplinary field that studies the role that nutrition (dietary patterns, nutrient intake or deficiencies, etc.) plays in the causes and treatments of mental health problems and mental health overall. And the same applies to nutritional psychiatry. The main difference between the two? Psychologists (usually professionals with a Ph.D. or Psy.D.) cannot prescribe medication, while psychiatrists (MD) can. (However, each practitioner has a slightly different approach, even within their practice.)

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Nutritional psychology “is an emerging field that harnesses the power of healthy, whole foods and nutrients to support mental health,” says Uma Naidoo, MD, nutritional psychiatrist, professional chef, and author of This Is Your Brain On Food. “Nutritional psychiatry strives to support a variety of psychiatric illnesses, from anxiety and depression to bipolar disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder, through intentional and evidence-based dietary changes,” she adds.

“Nutritional psychology [also] focuses on the connection between food, nutrition, mood, and cognition,” says nutritional psychologist Amanda Baten, Ph.D., founder of the Center for Integrative Therapies in New York City. “Optimal mental health is influenced by what we eat, how we eat, and how this affects the body and brain,” she explains. For example, if you don't get enough of certain nutrients like vitamin B12 (found in tuna and dairy products, among others), you may have difficulty concentrating and throw off your entire thought process.

Now let's be clear: A nutritional approach to mental health does not replace more traditional treatments such as medication and talk therapy, says nutritional psychiatrist Drew Ramsey, MD, author of Eat to Beat Depression and Anxiety. Instead, it can complement these treatments. "For some people, food can be a frontline treatment. But do I think every mental health problem can be solved with food? Certainly not. Some people need medication and no amount of 'brain food' will change that," he says.

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How nutritional psychology works

Since there is no set guide for nutritional psychology, it can look a little different for each practitioner.

Dr. Naidoo says the basics lie in what she calls the “gut-brain romance.” ICYDK there are two main ways (that are at least currently known) by which the stomach communicates with the brain. First, there's the vagus nerve, which runs from the brain along each side of the body, down the neck, along the esophagus, and to the abdomen, according to the National Library of Medicine. This nerve acts as a “two-way highway… constantly sending signals and chemicals back and forth between the brain and gut,” explains Dr. Naidoo. That means not only can the brain influence the gut, but the gut – and therefore what you eat – can also influence the brain.

Then there's the fact that the gut produces over 90 percent of your body's serotonin and about 50 percent of your body's dopamine — two neurotransmitters responsible for regulating your mood. So it stands to reason that when your gut is out of balance (think microbiome imbalance caused by poor diet), neurotransmitters are not produced as efficiently, which negatively impacts your mental health.

Nutritional psychologists and psychiatrists provide patients with education about nutrition and how you eat affects your emotions, the way you think, and your overall experiences, Baten says. “Then we dive deeper into personal triggers for bad eating and develop better thought patterns and better coping strategies for stress,” she says. “This is a holistic approach to optimal mental health,” explains Baten.

In the case of Dr. Naidoo, a patient is first subjected to a screening procedure. "For example, if someone is acutely mentally ill, they may need more urgent treatment first. Nutrition is always part of the solution, but can be added once their condition has stabilized. Safety comes first in mental health, as in all things medical," she explains. From there, she will conduct a nutritional psychiatric evaluation, order any appropriate tests (e.g. blood tests to determine specific nutrient levels), and "put together a personalized psychiatric treatment plan for the individual," Dr. Naidoo.

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What exactly the treatment looks like depends on the practitioner. Some sessions may be more along the lines of psychotherapy or talk therapy, where the patient receives advice on coping mechanisms for dealing with their mental illnesses and strategies to address them through nutrition. Others may focus more on ways to adjust your diet and change your eating habits to best address your mental health issues. And if you then see a psychiatrist, the professional may prescribe medication to treat your mental illness - of course, this depends on the severity.

Throughout the entire process and ongoing treatment, Dr. Naidoo works with other providers to ensure that the patient's nutritional treatment does not impact other elements of their health and that the patient also receives other necessary mental health care. (Remember: Nutritional psychiatry focuses on the role diet can play in your brain, but tailoring your diet isn't necessarily the only way to improve your mental health.)

Overall, this approach to wellness requires someone who has advanced knowledge of psychology, neuroscience, and nutrition, notes Baten. Ideally, they have a degree in psychology, such as a Ph.D., Psy.D. or an MD. And although there is no official degree in nutritional psychiatry or nutritional psychology, the Center for Nutritional Psychology offers an online certificate program in the field of study at John F. Kennedy University.

Why nutritional psychology is so important

Better health, mood, brain function and the ability to make better choices about the foods that properly fuel your body and brain are important, according to Dr. Offered all the benefits of studying nutritional psychology.

The modern American diet, rich in processed foods and meat, "is very harmful to our physical health, but the same is true for our mental health," says Dr. Ramsey. In fact, a 2017 meta-analysis found that high consumption of these foods, along with refined grains, sweetened foods and beverages, high-fat dairy products, and other foods—all of which represent “the Western dietary pattern”—is associated with a higher risk of depression.

Nutritional psychology “helps people pay more attention to their mental health and use food as one of the tools to take care of it,” says Dr. Ramsey. For example, many people have probably heard that they should pay attention to B vitamins for mental health, but aren't entirely sure why and which ones (of the eight total B vitamins) to focus on, says Dr. Naidoo. However, working with a nutritional psychologist or psychiatrist can offer patients the opportunity to learn more about, for example, vitamin B9 or folic acid, since low folate levels have been linked to depression, she explains. She might then recommend that a patient struggling with depression include more leafy greens in their diet as part of their treatment.

Additionally, “this area allows us to be more preventative and strategic with our mental health care,” adds Dr. Ramsey added. Take vitamins E and B12, as well as long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, for example. These three nutrients are often helpful for brain health, he notes. More specifically, they have been shown to help strengthen cognitive functions, and as such, nutritional psychology (or psychiatry) often encourages patients to be more aware of these nutrients depending on their struggles and as they age. A patient struggling with brain fog and depression may be told to increase their intake of vitamin B12 either through animal proteins or supplements. Meanwhile, the recommendation for an older person might include including more avocado (rich in vitamin E) and salmon (rich in omega-3 fatty acids) in their diet, as research has linked these two nutrients to a reduced risk of cognitive decline and dementia.

“We need more tools in our toolbox to support our mental well-being,” says Dr. Naidoo. “Research has shown that medications work for some but not all, and some continue to experience symptoms even when taking prescription medications,” she adds. The techniques and treatments used in nutritional psychology or psychiatry can help.

“We can start by looking at how we maintain our mood and keep it stable, but also the really rich emotional meaning of food and what food means to us,” says Dr. Ramsey. “Food is really becoming a very powerful tool in healthcare,” he notes.

Are there disadvantages to nutritional psychology?

As with anything in life, if there's an advantage, there's probably a disadvantage (or two) - and that's no different in nutritional psychology and psychiatry.

There's no one-size-fits-all approach to nutrition, and that can mean everyone's reactions to certain foods can be different, says Dr. Naidoo. “Not all healthy foods may be healthy for you,” she notes. "An example is the humble grapefruit. Although it is a delicious and nutritious citrus fruit, it also interacts with certain liver enzymes and can alter the levels of some prescription medications," explains Dr. Naidoo. (As mentioned above, she works with a patient's other healthcare providers for this very reason.)

Meanwhile, “there are no specific credentials, certifications, or training in this area,” emphasizes Deborah Cohen, DCN, RDN, associate professor in the Department of Clinical and Preventive Nutrition Sciences at Rutgers University. While many people who call themselves nutritional psychologists or nutritional psychiatrists actually have a degree in psychology or psychiatry, this is not technically a requirement. “You can call yourself a nutritional psychologist, but your training and background may be a little questionable,” says Cohen. And with that in mind…

How to find a nutritional psychologist or psychiatrist

It can be difficult, especially since “the field is still young,” admits Dr. Naidoo too. So just try searching online for “nutritional psychologists” and your area to see who you can find – just remember that the only people who are real psychologists and psychiatrists are those with a Ph.D., Psy.D. , or MD, recommends Baden. And like any other healthcare provider, you can also ask your primary care physician or another medical professional for referrals.

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Dr. Ramsey encourages people to try nutritional psychology or nutritional psychiatry. “People should know that this is about empowering them to find joy in nutrient density to support their brain health,” he says. “Your brain is a growing organ and decisions you make every day, like the foods you eat and how you move your body, have a big impact on your brain health,” adds Dr. Ramsey added.

The bottom line? “No matter what other treatments you use, you need to eat every day – so why not maximize the effects of the food you eat to improve your mental wellbeing?” says Dr. Naidoo.