Is Food To Blame For Your Anxiety And Depression? with Dr. Uma Naidoo

Mark Hyman

Jan 3, 2024

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Dr. Uma Naidoo is a Harvard-trained psychiatrist, a professional chef graduating with her culinary school’s most coveted award, and a trained Nutrition Specialist. Michelin-starred chef David Bouley described her as the world’s first “triple threat” in the food and medicine space. Dr. Naidoo founded and directs the first hospital-based Nutritional Psychiatry Service in the United States. She is the Director of Nutritional and Lifestyle Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Director of Nutritional Psychiatry at MGH Academy while serving on the faculty at Harvard Medical School.

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In this episode we discuss (audio version / Apple Subscriber version):

Understanding the role that food and diet play in mental health issues and treatment (12:53 / 10:55)
Exploring the root cause of anxiety and depression (18:23 / 16:27)
How to eat to calm anxiety (21:12 / 19:15)
The link between inflammation, mental health, and gut health (24:52 / 22:55)
The bidirectional relationship between anxiety and gut and autoimmune connections (47:01 / 42:41)
The link between psychiatric conditions and food sensitivities and allergies (50:44 / 46:24)
The connection between metabolism and anxiety (57:07 / 52:47)
Nutrients and micronutrients to help reduce anxiety (1:01:27 / 57:08)
Putting together a low-anxiety plate (1:15:41 / 1:11:19)

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Mindsip insights from this episode:

Explore psychobiotics for anti-anxiety and anti-depressant benefits

Psychobiotics is an emerging field of research focused on using specific beneficial bacteria to produce anti-anxiety and anti-depressant effects.

#anxiety

#probiotics

Boost iron absorption with dark chocolate and citrus pairing

Extra dark chocolate is the largest source of plant-based iron, and pairing it with a citrus fruit enhances its absorption due to the vitamin C.

#iron

#nutrition

Connect anxiety regulation to metabolic health

The parts of the brain that control anxiety, like the amygdala and hippocampus, are the same parts that are heavily involved in regulating the body's metabolism.

#anxiety

#metabolism

Avoid carboxymethylcellulose to protect gut health

A common food thickener called carboxymethylcellulose, found in processed foods, can disrupt the gut microbiome and lead to lower production of beneficial short-chain fatty acids.

#microbiome

#processed-food

Reconsider oatmeal as a stress-inducing breakfast choice

Even a seemingly healthy breakfast like oatmeal can increase the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline, making your body think it's in a fight-or-flight state.

#oatmeal

#stress

Address neuroinflammation to combat societal anger and divisiveness

The rise in societal divisiveness, aggression, and polarization may be connected to widespread neuroinflammation driven by our modern diet.

#nutrition

Leverage Akkermansia to boost natural anti-anxiety response

The beneficial gut microbe Akkermansia has been found to produce high levels of GABA, the body's natural anti-anxiety neurotransmitter that works similarly to Valium.

#GABA

#microbiome

Reevaluate serotonin theory in depression treatment

A major study published in the British Medical Journal questions the serotonin hypothesis, suggesting depression is not simply a chemical imbalance that can be fixed with SSRIs.

#depression

#serotonin

Address gut inflammation to alleviate anxiety and irritability

Contrary to the belief that anxiety causes gut issues, it may be that an irritable bowel and gut inflammation are causing an irritable and anxious brain.