Issue Diet as scalable mental and brain health intervention

Summary

Diet is a promising way to improve mental and brain health, especially in the lowest-income countries, where up to 85% of people receive inadequate mental health treatment. From a public health perspective, food could offer an accessible, scalable and cost-effective intervention that complements conventional medical care. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, an extra 53.2 million cases of major depression and 76.2 million cases of anxiety have emerged, while studies of flavonoid-rich foods such as blueberries, cocoa and oranges show better mood and less anxiety, especially among people who previously ate little fruit. Neurodegenerative diseases cause about 11 million deaths a year and nearly 57 million people live with dementia, and nootropic foods fortified with anti-inflammatory compounds such as curcumin support cognition through the gut-brain connection. Together with delivery advances such as nanoencapsulation, further trials are needed before these foods can be validated as a public health strategy.