Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is one of the crippling mental disorders imaginable for many Australians. New research and innovations continue to provide patients with new treatment methods and solutions. While it might not be possible for PTSD patients to live a truly “normal” life, there are many viable solutions that can help these individuals function as valued members of our society. As we continue to learn more about this disorder, researchers are starting to get creative, and they’re searching for useful information in places that might surprise you.
Recent studies have shown an interesting link between nutrition and PTSD. As it turns out, the choices we make regarding our diets might have an astonishingly profound effect on PTSD. A new analysis of data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) has determined that there is a link between the potential development of PTSD and what we choose to eat.
The Link Between Fiber and PTSD
Fiber is something that almost everyone is encouraged to eat these days, and it can be especially beneficial for those who are older. According to the CLSA, you can now add one more item to the list of fiber’s health benefits, because those who eat more of it are less likely to experience episodes of PTSD. According to the data, you need to eat two of three different sources of fiber each day to reduce your potential of PTSD episodes – or at least, that’s what the data seems to suggest.
So why is fiber so effective when it comes to dealing with PTSD? One researcher suggested that fiber can protect people from various mental health issues due to its ability to encourage the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). These powerful molecules originate in the gut, and they can communicate with other cells to impact brain function.
Other Foods That Can Help With PTSD
Researchers at the CLSA also discovered that certain foods can actually increase the chances of PTSD. These foods included chocolate, pastries, nuts, and pulses. According to the data, it would be fair to assume that avoiding these foods might be a good idea for both PTSD patients and those who worry about possibly developing this disorder in the future. However, researchers were quick to express certain reservations about the data. For one, they stated that there may be healthier types of nuts that do not have a negative correlation with PTSD. The study only looked at a few basic nut products, such as peanut butter. Different types of nuts may contain different vitamins and nutrients that could have a completely different effect on the prevalence of PTSD.
Final Thoughts
It goes without saying that we should take these findings with a grain of salt. More research is required to develop a full understanding of the link between PTSD and dietary choices. With all that said, this is a compelling new line of thought, and it deserves to be explored further. Preventative medicine is very important in mental health. If we can encourage patients to make healthier choices with their diets, perhaps we can significantly reduce the prevalence of a wide range of different mental health issues in Australia.
