How are the changes in food production affecting our mental health?
The foods we consume daily are very different in nutritional content to those we ate more than fifty years ago. We are eating less nutritious, fresh produce and more saturated fats and sugars. Partly because of the way food is produced and manufactured, many people are eating fewer vitamins and minerals. New substances, such as pesticides, additives and trans-fats have been introduced to the diet, which alone and together can prevent the brain from functioning properly. Our intake of omega-3 fatty acids has gone down whilst our intake of omega-6 fatty acids has gone up. The rise of processed foods, which use vegetable oils, has significantly increased our intake of omega-6. At the same time, people in the UK eat 60 per cent less fish – a good source of omega 3 fatty acids – than they did 60 years ago. This imbalance of omega 3 and omega 6 may result in depression, concentration or memory problems for some people. In addition to this, over the last 60 years there has been a 34 per cent
