Diversifying Eating Habits
Do you feel anxiety without any reasons? You enjoy your holidays, and eat what you like, but where do this feeling come from?
To be honest, it is impossible to explain an association between mentality and body because they affect each other complicatedly. However, from field of nutrition, you might have some risks of hidden malnutrition due to your eating habits.
Not only our bodies, but also mental are supported by some nutrients, such as magnesium, iron, zinc, vitamin D, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, and folic acid.
It is said that we don’t cause deficiency of those nutrients if we eat general meals. But, there might be no acknowledged “general meals” in contemporary diversifying lifestyles.
Taking supplements is easy to try. But, studies that prove their effects are few. So, you should try to take necessary nutrients from whole food as much as you can.
This article shows you some effects of nutrients to mental health and kinds of food which contain those nutrients. Let’s think about an association between mental health and nutrition.
Major Minerals
Magnesium
Magnesium is an important mineral that activates about 300 enzymes in our bodies. It is involved in suppressing nervous excitement, helping energy production, and maintaining blood pressure. Deficiency of magnesium can result in convulsions, tremors, and frustration. If you take too much with supplements, it will causes diarrhea.
Magnesium rich foods include whole grains, vegetables, soybeans, and almonds.
Trace Minerals
Iron
Iron plays an important role in formation of hemoglobin, and oxygen delivery. it is also a component in muscles. While the link between anemia and deficiency of iron is well understood, not much has been known that deficiency of iron can cause fatigue, shortness of breath, and sensitivity to cold.
The vegetable sources of iron include beans, radish leaves, and spinach, etc. Absorption rate of iron increases when you consume it with vitamin C. The animal sources of iron include not only in liver, but also in meat and fish in general. So, it is important to eat many kinds of food, don’t be too particular.
Zinc
Zinc is involved in cell production and proliferation, and is responsible for promoting growth and wound healing. In addition to the growth and repair of bones and muscles, it is also essential for maintaining normal sense of taste. Various effects, such as hormone balance adjustment, and cancer prevention have been reported, and further studies are ongoing. Deficiency of zinc causes dysgenesis, dysgeusia, rough skin, and hair loss.
The sources of zinc include fish and seafood, such as oysters and mackerel, cheese, soybeans, and cocoa. An easy way to take is that melt a table spoon of pure cocoa powder in 200ml hot water or milk, drink it slowly, instead of eating too much unhealthful snacks. 2-3 cups a day are fine (milk is by a cup).
Fat-Soluble Vitamins
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is involved in the absorption and deposition of calcium and phosphorus, and plays an important role in the formation of bones and teeth. Fat-soluble vitamins are literally insoluble in water, and are stored mainly in adipose tissue and liver, not in the blood. Vitamin A, K, E and D are fat-soluble, and are highly absorbable in our body when we take it with lipids, for example, frying in oil, or seasoning. On the other hand, it is insoluble in urine, so it can cause fatigue and loss of appetite if you take too much from taking supplements.
Vitamin D rich foods include fish and mushrooms. Almost never contained in vegetables, grains, and potatoes. It is also made from sunlight on the skin, but it is said that vitamin D produced in the body is reduced by 70% in winter, when it is hard to be exposed to sunlight, compered to summer. Now the chance of outing is limited due to the pandemic, it is better to take vitamin D a lot from whole food. For that, You should eat fish three times a week and more.
Water-Soluble Vitamins
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 is necessary to make energy from protein. It is involved in the synthesis of four neurotransmitters, the heart-stabilizing hormone “serotonin”, and plays an important role in brain functions, such as sleep, behavior, mood, memory, and energy. It is also essential for anti-inflammatory action, maintenance of immune function, and normalization of skin. Deficiency of vitamin D causes dermatitis, mouth ulcer, anemia, and abnormal brain waves.
The sources of vitamin B6 include tuna, banana, garlic, parsley, chili, turnip, and sweet potatoes. Try to eat if you have few chance to take them.
Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 is involved synthesize hemoglobin, and helps make normal blood. It is necessary to maintain normal functions, and development of not only blood cells, but also cranial nerves. Deficiency of vitamin B12 causes anemia, neurological or psychiatric symptoms.
Vitamin B12 rich foods include shellfish, such as oysters, and clams, liver, daily products (milk, cheese, and yogurt), eggs , nutritional yeast, break fast cereals , whole grains. Vitamin B12 is mainly contained in animal-based food. So, especially strict vegetarians and vegans have to care not to lack the vitamin.
Folic acid
Folic acid is one of the B group of vitamins. It helps produce blood with vitamin B12. It is essential for the process of hematopoiesis, and new cell production, so is especially necessary for pregnant or lactating women. It is often lost during the cooking process since it is water-soluble. So, there are cases in which are recommended to take supplements. But, it is possible to take a lot from food depends on the way to cook. Deficiency of folic acid can lead to anemia, dysgenesis in children, and mouth ulcers.
The sources of folic acid include edamame (green soybeans), moroheiya (molokheiya), spinach, and broccoli. Besides eating with soup and mixed rice, seasonal ingredients are nutritious. For example, spinach in season contains five to ten times more vitamins than out of season. It is good to be aware of the cooking method and seasons.
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