Yesterday’s BBC article  discussed ‘teen mental health: when to seek help and what parents can do’. Any discussion of mental health challenges in teens is welcome, as it helps parents and young people feel less alone.

However, as I read the article, I couldn’t help but notice that a huge piece of the mental health puzzle is repeatedly missed: it’s link with metabolic health and, crucially, nutrition.

Mental health is complex, with multiple contributing factors. But by ignoring metabolic factors, we overlook a powerful toolkit that can promote mental health and help children manage symptoms of anxiety and low mood.

Difficulties in getting help

Bringing nutrition into conversations about mental health gives parents a practical toolbox to support their child. When a child is struggling with anxiety: feeling ‘on edge’; unable to switch off; struggling to sleep; experiencing headaches or stomach aches; or withdrawing from activities they once enjoyed; parents often feel at a loss. They want to help, but don’t know how, and when they reach out for support, they are often faced with long waiting times. The average wait for young people being referred to mental health services in 2023-24 was 392 days. 171,134 people saw their referral being closed before accessing support (YoungMinds).

Nutrition to support mental health

Nutrition offers parents a way to feel empowered, and gives young people an opportunity to experiment with a positive tool, connecting food with mood, and discovering strategies to support their energy, mood, and symptoms of anxiety for life.

The BBC article does briefly mention food: “Prof Danese says maintaining healthy routines around eating, sleeping, and being active is important for low mood and anxiety.” But we can’t stop there. Do parents feel confident about which foods are most important for supporting brain health? Do they know which foods provide the nutrients needed for the brain and gut to produce the neurochemicals that soothe and calm, and the hormones that support motivation and self-regulation?

Are parents given clear guidance on foods that might worsen anxiety, increase worry, or trigger irritability and anger? And if they do have this information, do they have support or strategies to help them work with their teen to make changes? Food is emotional, personal, and often stressful. Especially in those who experience aversions around food.

Bringing nutrition into every conversation about mental health

My call is to bring nutrition into every conversation about mental health. The food we eat provides the biological messages that shape how our body and brain work, how we feel, and how we respond.

Nutrition needs to be front of mind when we discuss mental health, because it offers hope to families. The food we eat directly affects our mood, mental wellbeing, and symptoms of anxiety (ref 1). Dietary changes can impact symptoms in the short term, while also building and supporting mental health in the long term (ref 2).

Nutrition can be used as a powerful intervention to support anxiety on it’s own or in combination with other treatment and strategies. Combining nutrition with CBT and physical activity was seen to decrease anxiety and depression and increase sleep, happiness and motivation in 6 weeks (ref 3).

How can parents begin to use nutrition to support their child with symptoms of anxiety or low mood?

• Learn which foods support your child’s brain health. I run regular webinars which explore this and are freely available

• Start noticing if anxiety or mood symptoms are affected by certain foods.

• Talk with your child about the connection between food and how they feel. Outline foods that can help manage anxiety, and encourage them to experiment.

• Take a step that feels realistic and manageable for your family right now. You do not need another thing to worry about. Food should not add to your overwhelm.

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Some simple first steps might be:

• Having protein-rich foods available at breakfast.

• Considering if a nutrition supplement might be helpful initially. I am a dietitian and fully support a food-first approach, but if your child is struggling with anxiety, panic attacks, sleep issues, or burnout, a supplement may be the right first step.

• Swapping a snack or making a small change to an ingredient you use.

When your child is struggling, making one small change that reduces their anxiety even a little, helping them to relax, sleep better, or have fewer headaches, is worthwhile. Each small step makes the next one easier.

What to expect

I have worked with families who started small and saw difficult evenings improve, with their child getting to sleep more easily. Over time, children began to notice the difference certain foods made, embraced nutrition, and learned what they needed to eat to feel their best, choosing to avoid foods that made them feel anxious. I’ve seen children whose anxiety once dominated their lives become calmer, sleep well, wake refreshed, and thrive.

Foods rich in key nutrients that support brain health include:

• Meat, fish, and eggs

• Vegetarian proteins (tofu, tempeh, legumes)

• Vegetables

• Fruit

• Natural fats (olive oil, butter, oily fish, avocados)

• Fermented foods (yogurt, kefir)

• Nuts

Ensuring nutrition advice is realistic, feasible and personalised

This doesn’t mean these are the only foods a child should eat for mental health. Diet should be personalised to each individual, their needs, preferences, and, most importantly, where they are right now.

If a teen currently eats a limited diet of crackers, pasta, and chips, moving straight to a roast dinner or bean chilli isn’t helpful or realistic. If much of their food comes from outside the home, with lots of soft drinks, energy drinks, and processed snacks, change needs to be gradual and strategic. The wonderful thing about nutrition is that there’s always a positive change to be made, and it can be done gently, with food discussed in a positive, empowering way.

If the changes I describe above are seen in individuals and are backed by scientific research showing that some foods are linked to higher rates of anxiety and others to lower levels, then why isn’t nutrition part of every discussion about mental health?

The suggestions discussed in this article are for general informational purposes only. Nutrition is one piece of the puzzle for mental health support and is not intended to replace professional medical care, diagnosis, or treatment for your child. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for concerns about your child’s mental or physical health

References:

1. Aucoin M et al. Diet and Anxiety: A Scoping Review. Nutrients. 2021 Dec 10;13(12):4418. doi: 10.3390/nu13124418. PMID: 34959972; PMCID: PMC8706568.

2. L, Ramsey D. Food, mood, and brain health: implications for the modern clinician. Mo Med. 2015 Mar-Apr;112(2):111-5. PMID: 25958655; PMCID: PMC6170050.

3. Multidisciplinary intervention in the treatment of mixed anxiety and depression disorder, 2020, Physiology and Behaviour. May 15:219:112858.