This Is Your Brain on Food by Uma Naidoo

This Is Your Brain on Food by Uma Naidoo ISBN-13: 9780316536820 Hardcover: 304 pages Publisher: Little, Brown Spark Released: August 4th 2020

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
How to eat for mental health, from a go-to expert on the impact of food on the brain. Did you know that blueberries can help you cope with the aftereffects of trauma? That salami can cause depression, or that boosting Vitamin D intake can help treat anxiety? When it comes to diet, most people's concerns involve weight loss, fitness, cardiac health, and longevity. But what we eat affects more than our bodies; it also affects our brains. And recent studies have shown that diet can have a profound impact on mental health conditions ranging from ADHD to depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, OCD, dementia and beyond.

Dr. Uma Naidoo is a board-certified psychiatrist, nutrition specialist, and professionally trained chef. In This Is Your Brain on Food, she draws on cutting-edge research to explain the many ways in which food contributes to our mental health, and shows how a sound diet can help treat and prevent a wide range of psychological and cognitive health issues. Packed with fascinating science, actionable nutritional recommendations, and delicious, brain-healthy recipes, This Is Your Brain on Food is the go-to guide to optimizing your mental health with food.


My Review:
This Is Your Brain on Food explains what foods can positively or negatively affect your brain health. The author covered depression, anxiety, PTSD, ADHD, dementia, brain fog, insomnia, fatigue, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, OCD, and libido. For each problem, she talked about scientific studies using nutrition to treat the issue, cases that she's treated successfully, and advice about what foods should be avoided and what foods help heal the problem. About a fifth of the book was some recipes along with cooking advice for people that are beginners at cooking. Since I'm interested in food as medicine, I've heard some of this advice before. She generally recommended whole food over refined foods and getting your nutrition from food rather than supplements. Overall, I'd recommend this book to those who want to try changing their diet to heal. However, she doesn't mention avoiding GMO's even though she does recommend canola oil and soy foods. I strongly suggest anyone eating those foods buy organic or become informed about genetically modified foods.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.