“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food” – Hippocrates
Study after study is revealing that mental health is closely connected to what foods we eat and that the standard western diet of processed junk foods could explain the rising prevalence of dysfunctional behavior and toxic emotions ventilated in the public narrative.
A series of nutritional experiments in both schools and prisons have shown that violent incidents, the number of suicides, and mental health were significantly improved by changing diets.
Inmates in prisons are generally offered highly processed foods with a low nutritional value. It lacks in particular Omega 3 fatty acids found in leafy vegetables and high-quality oils that are vital to brain health.
In five international studies conducted in prisons during the past 25 years, prisoners were given foods with higher nutrients including fatty acids and minerals. All the studies reported a 30 percent reduction in violence.
Ultra-processed foods make up about two-thirds of diets in school meals in the United Kingdom. Several studies suggest this could be responsible for the high number of ADHS symptoms in children. Hyperactivity, aggression, and irritability seem to go hand in hand in children eating foods with high gluten content. It is mostly found in bread, cereals, and crackers.
One study found that a correction of nutrient intake in schoolchildren, either through a well-balanced diet or low-dose vitamin-mineral supplementation, improved brain function and subsequently lowered institutional violence and antisocial behavior by almost half.
Is this not an issue that needs to be looked at more closely when investigating the prevalence of gun violence at schools in the United States?
Studies conducted in relatively closed environments such as schools and prisons should be a wake-up call for society in general. According to World Health Organization (WHO) figures nearly two billion people globally are overweight. Obesity is a disease of the metabolism and the body’s metabolism is directly affected by diet and exercise.
There is no single magic pill to boost brain health. The foods that improve cognitive functions are the same foods that protect your heart and other vital organs:
- Leafy greens such as kale, spinach, collards, and broccoli are rich in brain-healthy nutrients like vitamin K, lutein, folate, and beta carotene.
- Fish, avocado, walnuts and high quality olive oils are rich in Omega 3 fatty acids.
- Berries are some of the healthiest foods you can eat. Blueberries, strawberries and rasberries are loaded with antioxidents and fibrres that prevent inflammation in the brain.
We can conclude that a large portion of humanity is living a shadow of the life it could live. Minds are fed with a daily dosage of toxic information while bodies are fed with toxic foods that incrementally destroy the quality of life.
The compound effect of your daily habits, and the choices you make migh well determine whether you live long enough to see your grandchildren grow up.
Reino Gevers – Author – Mentor – Speaker
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