5 Essential Nutrients for Excellent Mental Health

Start your mental health journey today by making sure you are getting essential nutrients in your diet or from supplements.

The following 5 are what I consider to be the foundation of excellent mental health, helping to keep you positive, calm and productive every day. Before looking to antidepressants or other prescription drugs it is essential to make sure you aren’t overlooking one of these that may be causing you problems.

You can ask your doctor for a blood test or simply examine your diet. Keep in mind that articles you may read online often tell you that certain foods are ‘rich sources’ of certain nutrients when in reality they only provide very small amounts compared to supplements. Try checking websites like My Food Data or SELF Nutrition Data for free food nutrients composition and calculators! 

In this menu, I will link to each nutrient in order of importance, explain why they are important and where to start with each one. It is worth noting that if you combine more than one, they will often synergise, meaning the effects combined will be even more powerful than the sum of the effects alone.

1. Vitamin D – An absolutely crucial vitamin, yet so often overlooked. Most people are deficient in the developed world!
2. Magnesium – The essential mineral that most people are also deficient in that helps us to keep calm and positive every day
3. Omega 3 Fatty Acids – Essential fats for brain health, they also help keep you positive, stable and calm
4. B Vitamins – The essential vitamins that play a huge role in mental fitness, depression and anxiety
5. Zinc – the essential mineral proven to have positive effects on mood that also protects brain cells