Diet has been evidenced to play a crucial role in protection from mood disorders. Dietary acid load refers to the amount of food contained in the diet that can result in the production of acids upon metabolism, and generally this is a measure of the amount of meat based protein in the diet. Dietary acid load is a measure of diet quality because large amounts of acid forming foods are considered detrimental to overall metabolism performance. Studies show that those individuals with the highest dietary acid load are also the most at risk from mental health problems including depression and anxiety, and the most likely to report increased perceived stress. The association between dietary acid load and mental health and stress might be explained by the protective effects of plant based foods. Those with the lowest dietary acid load will likely have the highest amount of plant based foods in their diet, and such foods are protective of mood disorders because of the antioxidants and anti-inflammatory phytochemicals they contain.
Eat Well, Stay Healthy, Protect Yourself
RdB
