Food, mood and health: a neurobiologic outlook.

C Prasad

doi:10.1590/s0100-879x1998001200002

Abstract

Hippocrates was the first to suggest the healing power of food; however, it was not until the medieval ages that food was considered a tool to modify temperament and mood, although scientific methods as we know them today were not in use at the time. Modern scientific methods in neuroscience began to emerge much later, leading investigators to examine the role of diet in health, including mental wellbeing, with greater precision. This review shows how short- and long-term forced dietary interventions bring about changes in brain structure, chemistry, and physiology, leading to altered animal behavior. Examples will be presented to show how diets alter brain chemistry, behavior, and the action of neuroactive drugs. Most humans and most animal species examined in a controlled setting exhibit a fairly reproducible pattern of what and how they eat. Recent data suggest that these patterns may be under the neurochemical and hormonal control of the organisms themselves. Other data show that in many instances food may be used unconsciously to regulate mood by seemingly normal subjects as well as those undergoing drug withdrawal or experiencing seasonal affective disorders and obesity-related social withdrawal. We will discuss specific examples that illustrate that manipulation of dietary preference is actually an attempt to correct neurochemical make-up.

Highlights

Modern medical science has made imposing progress in understanding the role of dietary nutrients - both macro- and micronutrients - in the maintenance of normal health and in the prevention of diseases like scurvy, pellagra, marasmus, Kwashiorkor, and many others
When we speak of nutrition and health, we generally think of nutrition in relation to the prevention or even treatment of cancer or of obesity and related disorders
To gain further insight into the effect of dietary protein on the neurochemical makeup of the brain, we examined the distribution of DA, DA-metabolites (dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) and homovanillic acid (HVA)), norepinephrine (NE), serotonin (5HT), and 5-hydroxyindolacetic acid (5HIAA) in the brains of rats consuming LP, MP, and HP diets for 36 weeks

Summary

Introduction

Modern medical science has made imposing progress in understanding the role of dietary nutrients - both macro- and micronutrients - in the maintenance of normal health and in the prevention of diseases like scurvy, pellagra, marasmus, Kwashiorkor, and many others. Many animal and human studies show that a diet containing soy protein, a rich source of trypsin inhibitor, may increase circulating level of CCK. The different behavioral effects of diet and dietary supplements on humans involve changes in sleep patterns, perception of pain, and mood, to name a few.

Results

Conclusion