Mental Health and Nutrition Research
The aim of this research group is to find nutritional interventions that are effective in treating psychiatric & psychological illness.
“ At our lab, we independently test new, groundbreaking multinutrient formulae, probiotics and other natural, beneficial substances. We run studies on many different psychological disorders, including ADHD, depression and stress.”
Check out their Blog for the latest research articles
Prof Julia Rucklidge
Pioneer of research on mental health and nutrition. Her research has explored the impact of nutritional interventions in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in children and adults, anxiety and stress in adults and children following catastrophe, insomnia, premenstrual syndrome, depression, addictions, emotion dysregulation and more.
Research Articles.
Nutrition as part of the solution to the mental health crisis
Mental illness affects one in five people globally and, despite the wide availability of solid empirically supported therapies, these statistics are not getting any better.
“ We appear to have reached an impasse improving outcomes, despite improvements in other areas of medicine. We need to explore new avenues.
There has been a small explosion in research using nutrients for the treatment of mental illness over the last decade. The general premise is that our brains need nutrients to function and chemicals that are essential for good mental health, like dopamine and serotonin, require micronutrients, like vitamins and minerals. ”
Can mineral-vitamin treatment change the microbiome? Yes it can!
Professor Julia Rucklidge explores the potential of manipulating the microbiome to drive good mental health
“ Previous research from our lab has shown that micronutrients do exert some positive effects on ADHD and associated symptoms. These findings suggest that micronutrient treatment may result in a more diverse microbiome which may in turn, have a positive effect on brain health ”
Gut gardening to improve mental health
It is possible to change your microbiome, for both better & worse
“ The gut microbiome can play an important role in physical and mental health. Increasing our bacterial diversity may improve our mental health and wellbeing. We can tend to our inner gardens by increasing our fresh food intake (and reducing processed foods), trying new fruits and vegetables, and enjoying some fermented foods or drinks. To more extensively change our gut bacteria, we could look at MTT. We do NOT recommend you try MTT at home, but talk to your healthcare professionals. ”