Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee

How To Eat To Beat Depression And Anxiety with Dr Drew Ramsey #212

Oct 26, 2021

Dr. Drew Ramsey, a pioneering psychiatrist in nutritional psychiatry and founder of The Brain Food Clinic, discusses how diet profoundly impacts mental health. He highlights the connection between gut health and mental wellness, emphasizing foods that fight inflammation and nourish brain function. Drew shares insights on the role of specific nutrients, the importance of dietary patterns, and how affordable eating can enhance mental well-being. He advocates for integrating nutrition into mental health treatment, offering practical tips that anyone can implement.

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ANECDOTE

Early Interest in Nutrition

Dr. Ramsey's interest in nutrition began early, influenced by athletics and a low-fat vegetarian lifestyle.
During residency, he noticed a disconnect between his personal focus on food and its absence in psychiatric training.

INSIGHT

Gap in Mental Health

There's a gap in how we address mental health compared to physical health.
While physical health advice often includes dietary recommendations, mental health rarely incorporates this aspect, despite robust data.

INSIGHT

Inflammation and the Gut

Inflammation is a crucial protective mechanism linked to our immune system, but chronic inflammation can be detrimental.
The gut, a major part of our immune system, is significantly influenced by food, creating a strong link between diet and inflammation.

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We know how vital what we eat is for our physical health. What’s less widely appreciated, despite a wealth of evidence, is just how important the right foods are for our brain and mental health. But my guest today is here to turn the science into easy steps we can all put into action.

Dr Drew Ramsay is a psychiatrist and a leader in the emerging field of nutritional psychiatry. He’s assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Colombia University and founded The Brain Food Clinic in New York. Drew’s book, Eat To Beat Depression And Anxiety: Nourish Your Way To Better Mental Health In Six Weeks is a powerful prescription for optimising your mental health through diet. His clinic incorporates evidence-based nutrition and integrative psychiatry treatments with psychotherapy, coaching, and responsible medication management. He believes everyone working in the field of mental health should be talking about nutrition – and I couldn’t agree more.

Over his 20 years as a practising doctor, Drew became frustrated that the robust data confirming a relationship between food and mental health wasn’t making it through to doctors, let alone patients. With depression being the most disabling illness in the world, he’s made it his mission to bring the evidence on nutritional prevention and cure to the masses.

The trick, he says, is to find foods that do one of two things. They either feed your gut microbes and fight inflammation (linked to both depression and dementia) or they put your brain in ‘grow mode’. And which foods do these things? Drew reveals his ‘power players’ in our conversation, giving specifics on different nutrients and how they work in the body. He simplifies the research on foods that can treat depression – such as the famous SMILEs trial. And he provides a super-helpful, realistic guide to changes you can make right now (that don’t have to be expensive).

Mental well-being is such an important topic and Drew’s work is so valuable. This episode is a must-listen for anyone who wants to do the best by their brain.

Show notes available at https://drchatterjee.com/212

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