4 Eating Habits That Might Mess With Mental Well-Being + What To Do

The study concluded that, when compared to older men, older women were more likely to have a stronger association between mental health and diet—with specifically four factors to watch out for: “Fast food, skipping breakfast, caffeine, and high-glycemic food are all associated with mental distress in mature women,” explains study author Lina Begdache, Ph.D., an assistant professor of health and wellness studies.

The debate over whether or not to eat breakfast may rage on, but the other three habits Begdache calls out aren’t entirely surprising. Anxiety is a common side effect of consuming too much caffeine, high-glycemic foods are likely to cause blood sugar spikes (and crashes) that could impact mood, and fast food isn’t exactly known as great fuel for the body—so why would it be great for the mind?

While plenty of previous research has looked into the link between diet and mental health, with this study, Begdache hoped to observe if customizing diet and lifestyle factors could help to improve mental well-being. “Interestingly, we found that for unhealthy dietary patterns, the level of mental distress was higher in women than in men,” she shares—which means women, in particular, may want to think twice about how these habits show up in their routines.