A British report links the increase in mental health problems over the last fifty years with changes in diet and food production. Researchers believe that the increase in fat and the decrease in important nutrients in animals raised for meat, plus the changes in eating habits, are to blame for the increase in schizophrenia, depression and other mental illnesses.
From the perspective of Chinese medicine, the change in diet can also be seen as a move away from eating the foods that are best suited to the local climate, which is a key component in maintaining health. The foods best suited to the local climate are the foods that grow in that region. The more our diet strays from this, the more likely that our health will suffer.
See also:
Article sources:
- Mental health link to diet change (BBC)
- Why what we eat has led to rise in mental problems (The Telegraph)