Mental Health and Nutrition: The Power of Psychonutrition with Dr Guillaume Fond
175. Mental Health and Nutrition: The Power of Psychonutrition with Dr Guillaume Fond
This episode is the second episode of a series on mental health and the basics for improving your mental health.
In this episode we will focus on the influence of nutrients on the regulation of emotions, attention, sleep, the protection and regeneration of the brain.
In this episode, Sandy Kaufmann synthesises the nutritional recommendations of Dr Guillaume Fond in his book Bien nourrir son cerveau on the influence of nutrients on the regulation of emotions, attention, sleep, the protection and regeneration of the brain. In 8 years of practice, I observe that working on one’s health through nutrition/supplementation is one of the most underestimated dimensions in nervous system regulation.
Dr Guillaume Fond has a double doctorate in psychiatry and in cellular and molecular biology and he is a researcher in psychonutrition. He has also written the book Bien manger pour ne plus déprimer.
In this book he explains that 80% of the world population is malnourished, meaning that they do not provide the essential nutrients for the proper functioning of the brain and therefore that it is normal to feel stressed, anxious or depressed if one does not provide what the brain needs.
In this episode I am going to describe the recommendations for people without a particular mental health diagnosis. In his book, Dr Guillaume Fond also gives indications to people who have diagnoses, while recommending being monitored by a person trained in psychonutrition.
Why nutrition is not enough
He gives two reasons: on one side malnutrition, which leads to a surplus of calories that will generate more inflammation in the body and accelerated ageing, and the insufficient nutrients in our food, which will alter the functioning of our organs.
Intensive farming or the rearing of animals and fish means that the nutrients present in these foods are less dense than 50 years ago. In summary, even a balanced diet is not enough to provide the nutrients we need for optimal health.
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First nutrient: DHA (a type of omega 3) and the importance of the omega 3/omega 6 ratio
DHA has several essential functions for our brain: it is the fluidity agent of our neurons, enables the regulation of our genes and will extinguish the chronic inflammation that silently erodes our organs. For young children, it is also essential for visual and cognitive development as well as for brain maturation.
Two reasons explain our permanent deficiency in DHA:
- The DHA found essentially in fatty fish and algae (plant-based omega 3 not containing enough DHA) is found in too small a quantity in our diet due to intensive aquaculture, and in summary 80% of the world population would lack this nutrient.
- The meat-rich diet we have means that we consume 5 times too much omega 6. The omega 6 absorbed competes with omega 3 to access the enzyme that will allow it to be integrated into the membranes of our neurons. The problem is that omega 3 is more effective than omega 6 at extinguishing inflammation and protecting our brain. If this ratio is imbalanced, it promotes neuro-inflammation.
Second nutrient: vitamin D3
Vitamin D3 regulates the immune system, protects neurons and optimises their function, plays a key role in brain development and the growth of brain cells (neuroplasticity) and protects the brain from neurotoxic agents.
Neither diet nor sun is sufficient to provide us with the necessary vitamin D. (One would need to be exposed for at least 20 minutes in the middle of the day without total sun cream.)
In his book, the nutritional reference for the adult population regarding vitamin D3 is 15 µg per day (600 IU) according to Anses and EFSA in continuous intake. He specifies that most supplements offer insufficient doses of 5 µg per day.
Third nutrient: Vitamins B9, B6 and B12
Active vitamin B9, also called methylfolate or MTHF, is the only form of vitamin that can penetrate directly into the brain. This vitamin plays a key role in the synthesis of neurotransmitters involved in many anxiety, depressive, sleep and eating behaviour disorders, such as serotonin, noradrenaline and dopamine. It also plays an essential role in the distribution and protection of DNA.
It is preferable for mental health to its inactive version also called folic acid because 30 to 40% of people do not correctly metabolise the other forms of vitamin B9, which are then ineffective and can accumulate in the blood, creating a potentially harmful effect.
Anses in its 2012 report would report that 95% of French people would be below the recommended norm. The nutritional reference for the population for active vitamin B9 is 330 µg food folate equivalent per day.
Deficiencies in vitamin B6 and B12 are significantly associated with the risk of depression in women. An intake of vitamin B6 would be associated with a reduction in mortality. Vitamin B12 supplementation reduces by 20% the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease and the intake of vitamin B12 participates in the MTHF cycle which consumes it to transform.
For vegetarians, eggs are poor in vitamin B12 and therefore do not constitute adequate supplementation for this vitamin.
It is estimated that in the United States 15% of individuals lack vitamin B6 and 4% lack vitamin B12.
According to the FSA in 2023, a sufficient intake of vitamin B12 is 4 mg per day and 1.6 mg per day for vitamin B6. At the time of writing the book, there is no maximum dosage for vitamin B12; for vitamin B6 the maximum recommended content is 22.6 mg per day for adult women and 21.8 mg per day for adult men.
Fourth nutrient: zinc
Zinc is an essential trace element playing a crucial role in the biochemical reactions of our brain. More than 300 enzymes in the body need zinc to function correctly. Zinc improves depressive symptoms through a multitude of effects:
– development of immune function and strengthening
– regulation of glucose, essential properties for influencing sleep and concentration
– lipid metabolism
– DNA synthesis
The zinc deficiency, although present in foods such as poultry, beans, nuts and whole grains, would be explained by an increasing consumption of unrefined cereals which would inhibit the absorption of zinc.
Daily intake is more effective than cures and the recommended dose should not exceed 5 mg per day for men and 11 mg per day for women according to the Anses recommendation. For the form, picolinate, citrate, glycinate or bisglycinate, gluconate or methionine are the best-absorbed forms and induce few digestive problems.
Fifth nutrient: iodine
Approximately 15% of depressive patients present with weakness of the thyroid theory. Without optimal thyroid function, disturbances in emotions, pleasure, motivation, concentration and other psychic symptoms can appear.
Iodine is an essential trace element for the proper functioning of the thyroid. It would also participate in increasing longevity.
Iodine intake is often insufficient in the diet, particularly in people consuming little salt and seafood and living far from coastal regions.
Iodine supplementation should not exceed 300 µg per day except in cases of insufficiency or proven deficiency under the supervision of a health professional. Most food supplements offer a dose of 150 µg per day, which corresponds to the EFSA recommendation of 2023.
What about essential nutrients for specific mental health problems?
In his book, Dr Guillaume Fond also talks about what is recommended to limit the ageing of our brain, what nutrients and dosages are specifically recommended for adult mental disorders such as depression, bipolar disorders, anxiety, schizophrenia, OCD, premenstrual syndrome, menopause, perinatal depression, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis. What is interesting to note is that many of the nutrients I have mentioned appear there — it is simply the dosage that increases — and there are of course specific recommendations for other nutrients per symptom.
I leave you to buy his book to find out more and above all to consult a health professional who will advise you on the best dosage for your own condition.
In summary, one should not underestimate how diet and its deficiencies can influence our mental health.
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Going further
And if you would like to work on your love patterns and transform your love life, you have the programme Opening Up to Love.
Sandy Kaufmann
is a somatic therapist and coach, based in Switzerland. She is the author of two books published by Éditions Eyrolles and has accompanied more than 600 people. She is the creator of the Somatic Deprogramming method and hosts the podcast “S’ouvrir a l’amour“, ranked in the French top 50 in the relationships category.
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