Understand how diet can interfere with your mental health

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In White January month, Umami Committee nutritionist explains the relationship between food and psychological well-being

São Paulo, January 2023 – At the beginning of the year, everyone feels more inspired to reflect on how to better take care of the body and mind. With the goal of raising awareness about the importance of good mental health, the White January campaign was created in Brazil.

According to Umami Committee nutritionist, Lisiane Miura, there is a relationship between diet and mental health. “Having the habit of eating inadequate meals is more harmful than imagined. A balanced diet can help improve our physical and mental well-being,” she explains.

“When we consume foods high in sugar, fats, refined grains, and caffeinated beverages, we may increase our stress levels,” highlights Lisiane. On the other hand, according to the nutritionist, to help relieve daily irritability, it is recommended to have a balanced diet, prioritizing the consumption of lean meats, fruits, legumes, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and eggs.

Healthy eating habits directly impact our brain, hence the importance of turning the act of eating into an even more pleasurable experience and, thus, being able to improve emotion control, disposition, energy, mood, and memory. Even so, it is very important to remember that eating well does not replace monitoring by psychology and psychiatry professionals.

“A great option to improve our eating routine is to include in the diet foods rich in umami, such as tomato, broccoli, corn, peas, fish, chicken, and mushrooms, which, in addition to providing benefits due to their nutrients, increase satiety and prolong a pleasant taste on the palate,” comments the Umami Committee nutritionist.

Umami is the fifth basic taste of the human palate, alongside sweet, salty, sour, and bitter, and one of its benefits is, literally, creating a mouthwatering sensation by increasing salivation. The taste can be naturally found in various categories of foods, such as seafood, mushrooms, legumes, vegetables, eggs, meats, fermented products, dairy, and teas.

UMAMI
It is the fifth basic taste of the human palate, discovered in 1908 by Japanese scientist Kikunae Ikeda. It was scientifically recognized in the year 2000, when researchers at the University of Miami confirmed the existence of specific receptors for this taste on the taste buds. The amino acid glutamic acid and the nucleotides inosinate and guanylate are the main umami substances. The two main characteristics of umami are increased salivation and the continuity of taste for a few minutes after food ingestion. To learn more, visit www.portalumami.com.br.