Diet, Nutrition, and Women’s Mental Health

Abstract

Different approaches have been studied in order to improve the effectiveness of widely known psychiatric treatments that alleviate the symptoms of mental disorders related to the female reproductive cycle. One of them is the adequate consumption of food or nutritional supplementation, which can even enhance the action of some drugs. In order to make the nutritional counseling more personal, a good nutritional assessment becomes important, along with dietary anamnesis, physical and laboratory examination, and gauging of anthropometric measurements. The nutritional assessment must also observe the relationship between food and body image and also consider the present stage in life, once each stage demands a different approach. Within the reproductive age, food that can reduce the premenstrual syndrome symptoms is recommended; during pregnancy and postpartum, nutrients that satisfy the increased nutritional need and may prevent depression symptoms must be supplemented; for the menopausal period, nutrients that relieve related symptoms are indicated, and they will also help those who do not perform hormone replacement therapy. The chapter goes further and discusses new pathways in nutrition, such as phytotherapy and the use of probiotics.