What is the Relation Between Vitamins And Mental Health?

Vitamins are organic substances present in minute amounts in natural foodstuffs. Vitamins are organic compounds that we need to use in the body. They are essential nutrients because they cannot be manufactured by the body and must be obtained from the diet. Vitamins play an important role in mental health and well-being. The absence of some vitamins and nutrients in your diet could lead to some mental health issues, like increased anxiety or depression. That is why it is important to know the types of vitamins linked to mental health and how they affect the human brain. There are a total of 13 vitamins i.e.

• Vitamin A
• Vitamin B2
• Vitamin B3
• Vitamin B5
• Vitamin B6
• Vitamin B7
• Vitamin B9
• Vitamin B12
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin D
• Vitamin E
• Vitamin K

Mental health is about how people think, feel, and behave. It involves all the different aspects of your mental state, including thoughts, feelings, attitudes, emotions, and attitudes toward your body image and self-image. Mental health is the ability to function in daily life and the ability to experience enjoyable activities. It is the ability to have balance, good relationships with other people, and physical functioning. Mental health can be affected by mental illness, but many other issues such as stress and depression can also disrupt a person’s daily living. The mental health industry is not only focused on curing disorders by solely relying on medication, but also by using nutrition therapy. Different diets are meant to treat various mental health issues including depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia. Diet therapy works best for individuals who have severe symptoms especially if the problem starts within their teenage years.

How do Vitamins affect Mental Health?

Depression affects millions of people in the United States. If you are depressed, there are many things you can do to help yourself feel better. And since depression is a common mental health condition, people with depression should not be worried about being alone because many other people have gone through similar situations and found ways to cope, improve their way of living and find happiness again. Survey of a Statistics shows that more than 19 million Americans, 8% of the U.S. population have experienced depression.

Vitamin B deficiency is associated with an increased risk of depression, cognitive impairment, and dementia. Vitamin B deficiency could negatively influence your memory function and cause cognitive impairment and dementia. Vitamin B contributes to the complexity of depressive symptoms.

Folic acid is a natural chemical that is found in food. Low levels of folate have been linked to depression. Everyone needs to keep adequate levels in their diet because it helps the nervous system function properly, including aiding in the production of new red blood cells. Folic acid has been shown to help reduce the risk of depression when combined with antidepressants. In women, low levels of folate combined with antidepressants can cause relief.

Folic acid (vitamin B9) is a member of a class of essential vitamins, called B vitamins. It is found in foods such as liver, egg yolk, and green leafy vegetables. Folic acid can be found in fortified breakfast cereals and other food products. Because vitamin supplements do not work as a standalone solution for mental health issues, it is important to include these foods in your daily diet. With folic acid, you should only consume around 1 milligram per day.

Talking about the impact of vitamins on mental health, it is noted that;

Vitamin B1 (thiamine) and Mental Health

Vitamin B1, or thiamine, is essential for a healthy brain. Without enough thiamine in your diet, you may experience memory loss, anxiety, and depression. Thiamine also supports the production of glucose (blood sugar), which your brain needs to function normally. It helps convert glucose into energy that the whole-body needs. Vitamin B1 can help convert the energy from glucose or blood sugar into useable energy in the brain. Having too little of this vitamin could cause fatigue, loss of appetite, and gastrointestinal disorders.

Vitamin B12 and Mental Health

Vitamin B12 is a key component in the formation of red blood cells. When your body cannot produce enough red blood cells, it has difficulty delivering oxygen to parts of your body. If this happens, you may develop anemia. Pernicious anemia is a common problem in the elderly who develop a vitamin B12 deficiency. Symptoms include cognitive decline, mood swings, and psychosis. If this happens, then we can experience problems with our mental well-being.

The two vitamins both play important roles in regulating and maintaining a good mental health state. When vitamin B12 and folate supplements are combined, they enhance the production of serotonin and dopamine. The two vitamins both play important roles in regulating mood, memory, thinking, and concentration; these vitamins are essential for proper cognition and health. Older people are more susceptible to deficiency of vitamin B12, so you should take extra care when taking supplements for this reason.

You can find vitamin B12 in plenty of animal products, including fish, lean meat, poultry, eggs, and low-fat and fat-free milk. Fortified breakfast cereals also are a good source of B-12 and other B vitamins.

Vitamin D And Mental Health

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that plays an important role in the body’s immune system, blood pressure regulation, and central nervous system health. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to mental health disorders such as depression. Further investigations point out that vitamin D is important during brain development and inadequacy of vitamin D has been positively correlated to mental problems. Since it is thought that vitamin D deficiency can be linked to mental disorders, it is recommended that people take a daily vitamin D supplement.

Risk Factors For Mental Health Conditions

Everyone experiences mental health disruptions at some point in their lives. Some may have a mental health disorder, such as depression or anxiety, that is triggered by life experiences. Others may be facing social, emotional, or financial challenges that are making it difficult for them to deal with a mental health disorder. Everyone can benefit from learning more about their risk factors, as well as how illnesses can interact with other medical issues or lifestyle choices to create new problems. Some of the risk factors are:

Continuous social and economic pressure

Living in an underprivileged area and not having enough job options, a person’s level of social involvement, education, and housing quality can lead to mental health disorders in some groups.

Biological factor

Your genes and environment may increase your risk of developing a mental health condition. However, many other factors contribute to the development of these disorders. Having a gene with links to a mental health disorder, such as depression or schizophrenia, does not guarantee that a condition will develop. Likewise, people without related genes or a family history of mental illness can still have mental health issues.

Mental Health Disorders

Most of the time, mental illness is treated with therapy or medication. It is not always easy for people to deal with these issues, especially if the syndrome is unexpected or occurs in a stressful situation. If you are not feeling well and feel as though you could benefit from therapy or a different treatment, ask your health care provider or another mental health professional about options that may help you. The most common mental disorder includes:

• Anxiety disorder: It is characterized by excessive fear, worry, and nervousness. People with these conditions have severe fear or anxiety about certain objects or situations. Most people with an anxiety disorder will try to avoid exposure to whatever triggers their anxiety.

• Mood disorder: Mood disorders are conditions that cause significant changes in the way you feel, both during the day and at night. They can affect how you think and act, as well as your interactions with other people.

• Schizophrenia disorder: Schizophrenia is a mental illness that affects about 1 percent of the population. The first signs typically appear between the ages of 16 and 30 years, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Positive symptoms include delusions, thought disorders, and hallucinations. Positive symptoms do not last long; therefore, they are less noticeable than negative symptoms such as withdrawal.

Vitamins And Mental Illness Treatment

Healthcare practitioners have voted for the therapeutic value of a dietary intervention to check other psychological disorders and depression. Even though there seems to have a linkage between vitamin deficiency and mental health problems, it is foremost to note that vitamin supplements cannot replace mental illness treatment medication. Depression and other mental health disorders can contribute to numerous long-term lifestyle issues. While psychological treatments are necessary, diets and vitamin supplements should be considered complementary to your overall treatment plan.

Some nutrients play an important role in the body’s ability to maintain wellness. Other dietary supplements can have significant benefits for mental health and cardiovascular issues. It is always beneficial for adults to maintain a healthy diet, but when there are issues that must be taken care of, it is important to consult with a medical professional before taking any vitamin or supplement. Maintaining a proper healthy diet may help one to avoid nutritional deficiencies that can cause mental health problems. Reducing or avoiding alcohol intake, cigarette smoking, refined sugars, and caffeine may be some measures used to maintain good mental health. Some dietary supplements may interact with your medication, causing side effects or making the medication less effective. You should consult your doctor before taking any dietary supplements. If you have any mental health issues, seek help from a professional. Always check with your doctor about the supplements you can take along with the prescribed medication for your condition. This will ensure that there is no conflict between the two and minimize the risk of developing other health concerns.