Vitamin are dietary components other than carbohydrates, fats, minerals and proteins physiologically necessary for life. Just like every organ, the brain needs certain vitamins to function normally. It is easy to assume that feelings of sadness or lower levels of energy must be to do with a situation, behaviour or an emotional reaction due to any kind of negative experience, but we rarely look at our diet or eating habits for a solution.

A big number of studies indicates that there is a growing body literature linking dietary choices to brain health and it also plays an immense role on the risk to the development of psychiatric illness. Vitamin deficiencies may play a causative role in mental health disorders and aggravate symptoms due to poor nutrition, where  it can also compromise patients' recovery process. Patients with certain psychiatric disorders, such as depression or psychosis usually adopt eating habits patterns that lead to vitamin deficiencies. 

DreamCloud research in multiple sources about how humans have used natural resources to prevent and cure mental health illness, take a look at these recommendations on how including these vitamins  on your diet can have a positive impact on your mental health.

Vitamins B1 to B9 are essential for extracting vital molecules that regulate our metabolism of neurotransmitters such as serotonin. They have all been found as sources to alleviate the symptoms of depression, stress and age related mental decline. Vitamin B3 in particular has been found to have positive effects when administered in controlled doses to long - term sufferers of depression and schizophrenia.  

There is an infinite amount of veggies proven to be natural sources of vitamin B such as spinach, broccoli and beetroot. A balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables should be enough to keep high levels of vitamin B on your body.  However, dietary supplements are useful and affordable alternatives.

Selenium is not only great for the immune system, it also fights inflammation and supports healthy cognitive functions. Studies have shown that low selenium levels support a higher risk of depression. For pregnant women, a diet rich in selenium has been proved to be a crucial factor on the prevention and treatment of postnatal depression.  Nuts have the highest concentration of selenium level than any other food sources. You only need one portion of nuts per day to reach your daily selenium requirements (200mg for adults a day).

The best source of vitamin D is the sun. This vitamin is vital for maintaining a vigorous mental health. A deficiency of vitamin D has been linked to depression and other mental illnesses. For winter days, experts recommend the ingestion of vitamin D in dietary supplements or in fortificated food like breads, cereals and milk.

Experts and nutritionist call this vital mineral like that because magnesium activates over 300 different enzyme reactions in the body, which means it tells the body what to do. It is crucial to nerve transmission, muscle contraction, blood coagulation, bone formation and cellular regeneration. Certain studies have referred to magnesium as the stress antidote. Also, decreased levels of this mineral shown to increase the production of adrenaline and cortisol, hormones linked to stress episodes and aggressive reactions.

Eat your greens! vegetables like spinach, kale, lettuce are rich in magnesium. Other options are pumpkin seeds, yogurt and almonds.

Vitamin deficiencies and dietary insufficiency are common risk factors that can prevent optimal outcomes in psychiatric practice. At DreamCloud we encourage patients to eat a nutrient rich diet as part of the multiple services and steps during the treatment process in order to prevent and treat psychopathologies and increase treatment effectiveness. Get started now at dreamcould.co