Where Body Care Meets Mind

When we feel low, anxious or foggy, most of us hope for a simple answer: a pill that will make it all better. Medicines can be life-changing, and for many people they're an important part of getting well. But the brain is not separate from the body. It is built from the food we eat, shaped by how we move, sleep and connect, and affected by every system in the body. For most of us, that's where lasting mental health really begins. (See The Art of Sleep.)

The search for a sugar-coated pill

In England, more than 8 million people are now prescribed antidepressants each year, and around one in four people will experience a mental health problem in any given year. Yet rates of depression and anxiety keep rising. A pill alone can't undo a diet of ultra-processed food, poor sleep, chronic stress, loneliness and a life spent mostly indoors. These are the soil the mind grows in, and when the soil is depleted, no single seed can thrive. (See Real Food, Real Health.)

The encouraging news is that changing that soil works, and the evidence is now strong.

Food for the mind

Your brain makes up about 2% of your body weight but uses around 20% of its energy. It's built largely from fat, needs a steady supply of nutrients to make its messenger chemicals, and is deeply sensitive to inflammation and blood sugar swings. (See The Quiet Fire.)

• Diet can treat depression. In the ground-breaking SMILES trial, people with moderate to severe depression were given support to follow a Mediterranean-style diet for 12 weeks. A third of them recovered fully, compared with fewer than one in ten of those given social support alone.¹
• Ultra-processed food takes a toll. A major review of studies covering nearly 10 million people linked diets high in ultra-processed food with a higher risk of depression, anxiety and other common mental health problems.²
• Blood sugar matters. Sharp rises and falls in blood sugar can trigger irritability, anxiety and low energy. Meals built around protein, healthy fats and fibre keep the brain on an even keel.
• The gut speaks to the brain. Gut bacteria help make and regulate messenger chemicals, and people with depression often have fewer of certain helpful species. (See The Master Regulator.)

Inflammation and the brain

Scientists increasingly see some forms of depression as partly an inflammatory condition. Around a quarter of people with depression have raised levels of inflammation in their blood.³ Inflammation can affect how the brain makes serotonin and dopamine, sapping motivation and joy. This helps explain why an anti-inflammatory diet rich in vegetables, oily fish, olive oil, nuts and herbs can lift mood, and why looking after the gut, blood sugar and stress levels matters so much.

The brain is not separate from the body. Look after the body, and you look after the mind.

Movement: the brain's fertiliser

Exercise releases a substance called BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), often described as fertiliser for the brain, because it helps nerve cells grow and connect. In a study of older adults, a year of brisk walking enlarged the hippocampus, the brain's memory centre, by 2%, effectively reversing one to two years of age-related shrinkage.⁴ (See Born to Move.)

For mood, the evidence is just as striking. A large 2024 review of trials found that walking, jogging, yoga and strength training all reduced depression, with effects comparable to talking therapies.⁵

Protecting the brain for life

In 2024, a leading international commission concluded that around 45% of dementia cases could, in theory, be prevented or delayed by tackling 14 risk factors across life,⁶ including:

• physical inactivity, smoking and excess alcohol,
• high blood pressure, high LDL cholesterol, diabetes and obesity,
• depression, loneliness and social isolation,
• untreated hearing loss and poor eyesight,
• air pollution and head injury, and
• less education and mental stimulation early in life.

Almost every one of these is shaped by how we live. The brain you'll have at 80 is being built today.

Nutrients that support the brain

• Omega-3 fats. The brain is rich in DHA, and omega-3 supplements high in EPA have been found to help with depression in studies.⁷ The best food sources are oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines and herring.
• B vitamins. In older people with memory problems and high levels of homocysteine, a combination of folic acid, B6 and B12 slowed brain shrinkage by around 30% over two years.⁸ Vitamin B12 deficiency, more common in older adults, vegans and people taking certain medicines, can itself cause low mood and memory problems.
• Magnesium. Sometimes called nature's tranquilliser, magnesium supports relaxation and sleep. In one trial, six weeks of magnesium improved mild to moderate depression.⁹ Leafy greens, nuts, seeds, beans and dark chocolate are good sources.
• Vitamin D. Low levels are common in UK winters and linked with low mood. Correcting a deficiency is important for many aspects of health. (See Living by the Sun.)
• Iron. Low iron can cause tiredness, poor concentration and low mood, especially in women.

Testing is the best guide. There's little point taking what you don't need, and a great deal of benefit in correcting what you lack.

Herbs for the mind

Many of these herbs have centuries of use behind them. Modern trials tend to be small, because plants can't be patented and attract little research funding, but they're adding support to what herbal practitioners have long observed.

• Saffron. The golden spice has been compared with standard antidepressants in several small trials for mild to moderate depression, with encouraging results.¹⁰
• St John's wort. A major review found it worked better than placebo for mild to moderate depression, and about as well as standard antidepressants, with fewer side effects.¹¹ But it interacts with many medicines, including the contraceptive pill, blood thinners and antidepressants, so it must only be used with professional guidance.
• Lavender. A specially prepared lavender oil capsule eased anxiety as well as a common prescription anti-anxiety medicine in one trial.¹²
• Ashwagandha. This calming adaptogen lowered stress scores and cortisol levels in adults under chronic stress.¹³ (See The Cortisol Clock.)
• Rhodiola. An energising adaptogen studied for stress-related fatigue and low mood.
• Bacopa. A traditional Ayurvedic herb shown in studies to support memory and learning when taken over several months.¹⁴
• Chamomile. A gentle herb that has been studied for generalised anxiety, as well as being a soothing evening tea.¹⁵

As with all herbs, the right choice depends on the person, and on their energetics. A calming, cooling herb suits a wired, anxious, overheated person; a warming, uplifting one suits someone flat, cold and depleted. Given to the wrong person, a herb can aggravate the very tendency they're trying to ease. To learn more, read The Architecture of Balance.

That's why, for accuracy and safety, it's best to seek guidance from a qualified practitioner rather than self-prescribing. A practitioner will identify your constitution, check for interactions with any medicines you take, and choose the right herbs, in the right form and dose, for you.

Daily strategies for a resilient mind

• Protect your sleep. During deep sleep, the brain's cleaning system flushes away waste products, including proteins linked with Alzheimer's disease.¹⁶ Aim for seven to nine hours, with regular times.
• Get morning light. Natural light early in the day sets your body clock, improving mood and sleep.
• Spend time in nature. In one study, just 20 to 30 minutes in a natural setting brought the biggest drop in cortisol.¹⁷
• Meditate. Meditation reshapes the brain, calms the stress response and strengthens attention. (Read more in The Sound of Stillness.)
• Stay connected. Loneliness is one of the strongest risk factors for both depression and dementia. Make time for the people who matter.
• Keep learning. New skills, languages, music and puzzles build "cognitive reserve", helping the brain withstand the effects of ageing.
• Go easy on alcohol, which disrupts sleep, mood and blood sugar.

At Rootwise, we look at the whole picture behind how you feel: your diet, gut, blood sugar, sleep, stress, nutrient levels and constitution. Then we build a plan, with food, lifestyle and natural support, to help your mind and body thrive together.