Personalised nutrition for mental health and wellbeing

By Chloe Plummer, Nutrition Advisor and BSc (Hons) Nutritional Therapy student

In recent years, the relationship between mental health and nutrition has gained increasing attention. Research continues to highlight that what we eat can influence how the brain functions, how we respond to stress, and our capacity for emotional resilience¹.

Healthy food options to support mental well being

Having a personalised nutrition plan can help you to understand how food may support your mental health and wellbeing in a way that is realistic, specific for you and complementary to counselling.

Key nutrients that support brain function and mental health - Personalised nutrition for mental health

The brain is highly metabolically active and relies on a steady supply of nutrients to function optimally. These nutrients include²:

• B vitamins: These support energy production and nervous system function.

• Iron: Essential for oxygen delivery to the brain and for producing neurotransmitters, your body’s chemical messengers.

• Magnesium: Regulates the stress response system and supports the production of calming neurotransmitters. Low levels have been associated with an increased risk of depression and anxiety-related disorders.

• Omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA): Supports the structure of the brain’s cells, which affects signalling of neurotransmitters, including serotonin, the ‘feel-good’ neurotransmitter.

Blood sugar balance and its impact on mood and wellbeing

Blood sugar regulation is an often-overlooked factor in mental wellbeing. Irregular eating patterns, skipped meals, consuming high levels of added sugar, and a diet low in protein and fibre, can contribute to blood sugar fluctuations, which may present as irritability, low mood, anxiety, fatigue, brain fog and difficulty concentrating³.

Supporting blood sugar stability is therefore one of the ways in which nutrition can support mental health and wellbeing.

The gut-brain connection – how gut health impacts mental health

There is increasing recognition of the link between gut health and mental health, often referred to as the gut-brain axis. Research suggests that the gut microbiome – a huge, complex community of trillions of microorganisms including bacteria, viruses and fungi in your digestive tract – influences neurotransmitter production, immune signalling and inflammation, which can all influence mood and wellbeing⁴.

Disruptions to gut health, which can be due to stress, illness or dietary patterns, may therefore have wider effects beyond digestion alone, but personalised nutrition and lifestyle changes can help to mitigate this impact and improve gut health and mental health.

The link between nutrition, stress and mental health

Chronic, low-level stress is commonplace these days, yet it places additional demands on the body, increasing the need for nutrients involved in energy production and stress regulation, including vitamin C, zinc and the B vitamins. During prolonged periods of stress, people may unintentionally under-eat and rely on convenience foods, which may prevent this nourishment, contributing to symptoms such as fatigue, anxiety and brain fog⁵.

A personalised nutrition approach

Nutritional needs are not static – they change as we go through different life stages and events when physical and emotional demands are higher, such as during pregnancy and the menopause, when training for a marathon, or when experiencing a bereavement, short-term stressors such as a house move or new job. For this reason, nutritional support is most effective when it takes a personalised, whole-person approach rather than applying one-size-fits-all recommendations.

Supporting mental health with healthy food and optimal nutrition is not about quick fixes, restrictive rules, isolated nutrients or perfectionism. Instead, it focuses on helping the body to function as well as possible through small, realistic, achievable changes that align with an individual’s life demands. This will help to create a stable foundation that supports mental and emotional wellbeing alongside other therapeutic approaches such as counselling.

Chloe Plummer is a Nutrition Advisor and final-year BSc (Hons) Nutritional Therapy student with the Institute for Optimum Nutrition and University of Portsmouth, due to graduate August 2026. She offers personalised, evidence-based nutrition support for women’s health and works collaboratively alongside other healthcare professionals including counsellors.

Learn more about Chloe and how nutrition can help by clicking here

Personalised nutrition for mental health and wellbeing - a woman in a kitchen preparing fresh food

References

1.     Firth J, Gangwisch JE, Borsini A, Wootton RE, Mayer EA, Boniface D, et al. Food and mood: how do diet and nutrition affect mental wellbeing? BMJ. 2020 Jun 29;371:m2382. doi:10.1136/bmj.m2382.

2.     Muscaritoli M. The impact of nutrients on mental health and well-being: insights from the literature. Front Nutr. 2021 Mar 8;8:656290. doi:10.3389/fnut.2021.656290.

3.     Basiri R, Seidu B, Cheskin LJ. Key nutrients for optimal blood glucose control and mental health in individuals with diabetes: a review of the evidence. Nutrients. 2023 Sep 10;15(18):3929. doi:10.3390/nu15183929

4.     Doenyas C, Clarke G, Cserjési R. Gut–brain axis and neuropsychiatric health: recent advances. Sci Rep. 2025 Jan 27;15(1):3415. doi:10.1038/s41598-025-86858-3

5.     Bremner JD, Moazzami K, Wittbrodt MT, Nye JA, Lima BB, Gillespie CF, et al. Diet, stress and mental Health. Nutrients. 2020 Aug 13;12(8):2428. doi: 10.3390/nu12082428