
        Growing up in an Italian-American household abundance of food has never been presented as an issue. From the five to sometimes six course meals consumed over a relaxing Sunday family dinner. Or, hearing my Nona (grandmother) persisting me to try the homemade ravioli she spent hours making; food has always acted as the reliable backbone to my family. If you sit and ponder the idea of what necessities remain detrimental in order to sustain human survival, the answer is clear. Ultimately when it comes down to it, one's life revolves around two essential necessities to remain alive; those being food and water. People who are living less fortunate amongst us, food has been seen in their eyes as unpredictable, inconsistent and often leaving many to wonder when their next meal will present itself. 

As a nursing major here at the University of South Carolina-Columbia, health and helping others less fortunate has always been my passion and purpose in life. As a college student, you witness the late night fast food runs or the drunk food creations people generate. As a result, some may be affected by physical weight gain; however, others may not. But, if you analyze this outcome in a cause and effect scenario. What role does poor diet play, if it did not result in a noticeable effect? If one is not being affected by weight gain physically, what role does food consumption and diet play on one's overall mental health?

According to Tara Parker-Pope in her article "A High Price for Healthy Food", there are three important differences which separate healthy food from the not so healthy:; price, the amount of high/low energy (calories), and density. Foods such as fruits and vegetables contain fewer calories, but excel because they offer essential nutrients one needs for proper nutrition. On the other hand, Pope discusses how foods which contain high starch and sugar content can be bought in bulk. In fact, a scientific survey directed by Dr. Adam Drewnowski at The University of Washington discovered that, "Energy-dense munchies cost on average $1.76 per 1,000 calories, compared with $18.16 per 1,000 calories for low-energy but nutritious foods (Pope)." This allows for lower income consumers to sustain weeks on a limited budget. The survey later goes to prove that the relationship between price presents a direct correlation with amount of calories found in foods, resulting in inflation. Scientists found that, "low-calorie foods were more likely to increase in price, by a surging 19.5 percent over a two-year period. While high-calorie foods remained at a relative bargain, dropping in price by 1.8 percent (Pope)." This goes to prove that with low-calorie foods rising at such an astonishing rate, inflation subjectively forces lower income citizens to consume high-calorie less nutritious foods. Clearly with low-calorie nutritious food prices on the rise, this hinders the minimal choice which still remains for lower income citizens to consume nutritious foods. As Dr. Drewnowski states, "Vegetables and fruits are rapidly becoming luxury goods." Therefore, inflation makes the odds of improving lower income citizen's nutritional health possibly decline even more substantially over an extensive period of time.

Humans are much like a clock, from the outside we presented not all the same but hold similar characteristics which distinguish us as a whole. From the inside we run deep performing many complex intricacies which allow us to sustain a normal daily routine. Every component has to work in sync: from gears, to the pendulum, to the weights which balance everything out. Our bodies are constantly working to sustain life, just like a clock is constantly working to sustain functionality. Visualize the key to the clock, you enter the key and twist right as a result, everything begins to function properly. Similar to poor diet, the food one consumes correlates directly to the 'key' component of human functionality (i.e. the brain). If we apply this metaphor to Dr. Eva Shelhub findings in the article, "Nutritional Psychiatry: Your Brain on Food" we can analyze this concept even further. According to Doctor. Shelhub, studies have proved that diets which consist of foods mostly containing high refined sugars tend to increase impaired brain function. Specifically, individuals with mood disorders such as depression, found these type of foods caused an even worsening effect of their symptoms. The neurotransmitter serotonin presents an interesting relationship with depression; high or low levels can alter a person's mental state/mood completely. She states that, serotonin is produced by not just the brain, but by the gastrointestinal tract; which is accountable for producing 95 percent of serotonin levels located throughout the human body (Shelhub). Some of you may be thinking so why does this present an issue? The gastrointestinal tract has two primary responsibilities; to digest the foods you consume and protect your intestinal tract from the good and bad bacteria. Just like a clock, the gastrointestinal tract works in sync with the brain. The good and bad bacteria found in the gut not only share a bidirectional relationship with a person's mood but also affects one's mental health. As previously mentioned, foods which create these bad bacteria are found largely in energy-dense munchies (Pope). These foods not only cost less, but provide lower income citizens a substantial amount of food for weeks, all while maintaining within a set minimal budget. With inflation rates on the rise, this stirs a major issue for lower income citizen's mental health and in the years that follow. Hence the substantial price differential found in high and low energy dense foods, studies have shown that people who take probiotics over those who do not saw positive results. Probiotics are supplements which contain the 'good bacteria' lower income citizens do not consume. The distribution of probiotics throughout homeless shelters and organizations could possibly present an affordable way to decrease mental health problems amongst the less fortunate. Ultimately reducing their anxiety levels, perception of stress, and overall mental outlook improve (Shelhub).

According to the previously mentioned article, "Nutritional Psychiatry: Your Brain on Food" Shelhub states that in America, traditionally we thrive on what is called a "western" diet. Western diets contain processed and refined foods which are high in carbohydrates, refined sugars, and starches. Studies have compared "western" diets to "traditional" diets, like the Mediterranean diet and the traditional Japanese diet. Traditional diets eliminate "western" diet staples and are usually high in vegetables, fruits, unprocessed grains, and fish and seafood, and only few amounts of meats and dairy. "In fact, traditional diets have shown to reduce the risk of depression by 25-35 percent (Shelhub)." However, in the longitudinal study, "A Western Diet is associated with a smaller hippocampus: a longitudinal study", scientists motive was to discover if there is a correlation between hippocampal size and diet in humans(Polivy). The hippocampus is primarily responsible for one's learning, emotions, and memory; these functions are all of which are affected by mental illness. To achieve this, they studied how diet affects hippocampal brain development size found in rats. The study lead to discover that for "everyone standard deviation increase in healthy "traditional" dietary pattern was associated with a 45.7mm3 larger left hippocampal volume, while higher consumption of an unhealthy "Western" dietary pattern was (independently) associated with a 52.6mm3 smaller left hippocampal volume(Polivy)." Based off this evidence, one can state that lower income individual who consume unhealthy "western" diet staple foods to survive, could result in a smaller left hippocampal size development. This longitudinal study leads scientists to believe there is a direct relationship between hippocampal size and a person's mental state. As a result, this proves that dietary patterns in America significantly impact lower income citizens not just physically, but mentally as well.

In conclusion, it goes to say that there are many factors that influence one's mental health. We've learned that the brain is not the only factor for affecting  a person's mental state; the gastrointestinal tract plays an important role as well.  Receiving proper nutrition is essential

for proper hippocampal brain development as well as serotonin levels produced in the brain. While some may argue biology is the key factor to a person's mental outcome; research proves that there is a bidirectional relationship between nutrition and the brain. Ultimately, this results in an overall negative effect on lower income citizens who cannot afford the means to purchase healthy foods in order to obtain proper mental development. Based off our research, what are some ways you think we can help improve lower income citizens mental health in America?

 
