What we consume daily has a direct influence on our physical health. When we think of the consequences of bad food, we mainly think of obesity or physical illnesses. But it also has a major influence on our mental state and our character! Unhealthy food makes you moody.

 

Everyone has been there. You are walking down the street and someone accidentally bumps into you. You stand still, and after the initial surprise, you make eye contact with the person in question and an ‘oh, excuse me’ or a ‘sorry’ immediately rolls out of your mouth. Of course, you don’t have to apologize for something you didn’t do yourself, but it is the power of habit. It was clearly a wrong distance estimate of the other person, you think. Maybe I was in the way… In short, an innocent accident.

 

However, the other person doesn’t say anything, but looks at you angrily and walks on without saying anything. Now you feel annoyed, but when you feel good about yourself, you quickly let this incident go. “Oh, he must be having a bad day,” you say to yourself and you continue with your daily routine. But maybe that bad day is not due to relational problems or a scolding from a harsh boss. Maybe something else is going on… Maybe it was because of … breakfast!

New studies reveal surprising connections between nutrition and behavioral characteristics such as impulsiveness, patience and mood. Can we improve our relationships by simply adjusting our food choices? Yes, indeed!

 

 

In an earlier article on MaatschapWij I talked about the gut-brain connection, more specifically about the microbiome-gut-brain connection. About how pesticides disrupt that connection. I find that an extremely interesting subject and I would like to briefly explain it again. Unfortunately, not everyone is aware of this yet.

 

What exactly does the ‘gut-brain connection’ mean? The Brain-Gut Axis is a complex communication circuit that connects the brain and the gut. This system uses nerve signals, hormonal messages, and immune pathways to send information in both directions. Recent research has shown that this connection is not only important for controlling digestion, but also plays a crucial role in our mental and physical health.

 

Yes, that self-doubt, that fear, or that general feeling of malaise you feel after eating a can of Pringles does not just come from your cognitive realization that this was probably not a good choice for your figure and health; it is a direct biological response.

 

Highly processed (nutrient-poor) or sprayed foods can promote inflammation, disrupt the composition of your gut microbiome, and thus contribute to negative feelings and mood swings via the gut-brain axis. A healthy microbiome produces neurotransmitters such as serotonin. A disrupted microbiome can lead to a deficiency of these ‘feel-good’ substances, which can cause mood swings or even depression.

 

 

But it doesn’t stop at feeling unpleasant, people also become more aggressive when their gut-brain connection is disrupted. A study among violent youth showed that administering vitamin and mineral supplements led to a 91 percent reduction in violent acts compared to a control group. The youth involved had deficiencies in essential nutrients such as iron, magnesium, vitamin B12 and folic acid, which are crucial for good brain function. A consequence of a poor diet. These crucial nutrients are increasingly scarce in our modern diets, which largely consist of ‘ultra-processed foods’ (UPFs).

 

The biggest reason that this connection is disrupted is our consumption of processed foods. These are harmful by their composition and have a negative impact on our health. They often contain a lot of added sugars, which cause rapid spikes and drops in blood sugar levels. This promotes inflammation, increases the risk of obesity and diabetes, and affects brain function, which can cause mood swings.