When We Eat Affects Mental Health
“We are what we eat,” the adage says. Turns out it also matters when we eat.
Two Canadian researchers – Elisa Brietzke, a professor of psychiatry at Queen’s University School of Medicine, and Elena Koning, a doctoral student at Queen’s University Centre for Neuroscience Studies – are studying the connections between food and mood, specifically eating patterns and the body’s circadian system.
Building on earlier studies which show that “eating meals at different times each day contributes to weight gain and is linked to depression,” their research examines “how eating on an unpredictable schedule such as during the body’s resting phase at night can hurt our mood or exacerbate symptoms of mood-related disorders.” They discussed their work with The Wall Street Journal. Excerpts from that conversation are summarized below. You can read the interview here.
Our circadian system ensures bodily systems happen at the right time and do not conflict with one another. Sunlight affects bodily regulation, but so does eating. Eating at unpredictable times, especially late at night when we should be sleeping, can throw a wrench in the system, “contributing to circadian desynchronization and poor energy regulation in the brain, which influences mood,” according to Brietzke.
Why does it matter when we eat? Our bodies are primed to use glucose during the day when we are active. “Food is a wake-up cue to the brain, and can worsen sleep quality if eaten too close to bed,” Brietzke said. Three hours before bed, melatonin levels start to rise, and simultaneously, your glucose tolerance decreases, so your body can’t handle the glucose as efficiently. “Essentially, your body needs 12 hours of fasting at night, yet most people only get nine hours,” she added.
Irregular eating rhythms throw off the biological clock, affecting mood, for reasons that are not entirely clear beyond the fact that the brain is affected by energy supply. Brietze asserts, “Fasting has been shown to have an antidepressant effect in prior research, and is perhaps the reason it is common in many religions.” The researchers believe intermittent fasting could possibly be a treatment for depression, but only under the advice of a dietician or physician.
Schedules in general are good for the body and brain. While there is not one perfect routine, maintenance is key – sleeping, waking, eating, even exercising and showering at similar times (on the weekend as well) can help promote healthy rhythms.
Dizik, Alina. “When We Eat Can Affect Our Mental Health.” The Wall Street Journal, 13 Aug 2022, https://www.wsj.com/articles/when-we-eat-can-affect-our-mental-health-11660319113.