3 food groups to avoid for better mental health and well-being
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Even seemingly healthy foods...can trigger an inflammatory cascade in sensitive individuals, especially if gut integrity is already compromised. That inflammation doesn’t stay localized; it travels—and when it reaches the brain, it can manifest as anxiety, depression, irritability, or brain fog.
—Melanie Murphy Richter, MS, RDN
Research shows that increasing fruit and vegetable intake may support mental health. [] By the same token, it may be smart to omit or reduce reliance on foods that don’t serve mental well-being. But which foods pose the greatest risk to mental health—and how should you counsel patients?
For better or worse, there is no one right answer to that question, and the experts say the way the body interacts with food is an incredibly individualized process.
Figuring out what foods help or harm mental health can require some patient-directed self-discovery, trial and error, or shared-decision making among patients and physicians. Still, there are some categories of foods that may be more disruptive to mental health than others. Here are top tips for the clinic, per the experts.
Overlooked food allergens/sensitivities
Melanie Murphy Richter, MS, RDN, a registered dietitian who runs the private practice Wholistic Ritual, says that “one of the most overlooked connections” between nutrition and poor mental health are foods that you are sensitive to.
Food sensitivities can pertain to a variety of foods including gluten, dairy, corn, or eggs, which can trigger inflammatory responses in some people despite being healthy dietary staples for others.
When a food sensitivity triggers inflammation, that inflammation, Richter says, can travel to different parts of the body, and when it gets to the brain, it has the potential to mess with your mental health.
“Even seemingly healthy foods—like gluten, dairy, corn, or eggs—can trigger an inflammatory cascade in sensitive individuals, especially if gut integrity is already compromised. That inflammation doesn’t stay localized; it travels—and when it reaches the brain, it can manifest as anxiety, depression, irritability, or brain fog," she says.
Foods that negatively interact with an unhealthy gut
An unhealthy gut microbiome, such as a microbiome with an overgrowth of yeast or mold, can impact how the body responds to different foods—which may have implications for your mood, Richter says.
For better gut health, you can counsel patients to pick evidence-backed, gut-friendly foods such as:
Kiwi
Coffee
Mixed nuts, including almonds, walnuts, pistachios
Yogurt
Other probiotic-rich and fermented foods such as kimchi and sauerkraut
The obvious culprits: UPFs
While every person responds to foods differently, eating too many ultra-processed foods may increase inflammation in the body, thus leading to mood swings or emotional reactions in some people.
“Ultra-processed foods and sugar may taste like comfort, but they act like drama queens in the brain, causing inflammation, mood swings, and a rollercoaster of emotions,” says Lisa Jones, MA, RDN, LDN, FAND, a dietitian based in Philadelphia. “Your brain doesn’t do well on junk.”