Poor Nutrition Linked to Mood Problems in Teenagers

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A clinical trial from New Zealand suggests that severe emotional distress in adolescents or teenagers can be exacerbated by something seemingly harmless, such as nutritional deficiencies in their diet.

As reported by the New York Post in Jakarta on Monday, lead researcher and clinical psychologist at the University of Canterbury, Julia Rucklidge, Ph.D., tested 132 adolescents or teenagers aged 12 to 17 from across New Zealand who exhibited moderate to severe irritability.

The study linked some of the adolescents to a relatively new condition called Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder, which some estimates suggest affects 5 percent of children and adolescents in the US.

The theory is that micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) will improve temperament and irritability and lead to better overall mental health.

They were divided into two groups: one group received micronutrients in pill form three times a day, four pills at a time, for eight weeks. The other group was given a placebo.

Overall, adolescents in both the micronutrient and placebo groups experienced improved mood, as observed in weekly consultations with a psychologist.

Many participants in both groups also experienced a decrease in suicidal thoughts, which the authors noted were experienced by about a quarter of participants at the beginning of the trial.

Rucklidge explained that this doesn't mean the children were deficient in any particular nutrient, but rather that their conditions may have led to them needing more support than a healthy body system would.

"If I’m really sick, I’ve got the flu, then my nutritional needs are higher at that point because my immune system needs to be supported. If I’m stressed, if there’s a lot going on, my nutritional needs are higher under those circumstances," she explained.

The study authors cite research linking poor diet to the development of mental health problems in young people, including mood dysregulation. Early malnutrition, in particular, appears to have a critical effect, leading to a wide range of complications by the time a child becomes a teenager.

“What is happening in teenagehood — their brains are under reconstruction. There’s a lot going on, the metrics are out of whack. Their nutritional needs are higher. They’re going through growth spurts. Their brains are changing,” Rucklidge said.

When all that growth is driven solely by a diet of ultra-processed foods, it creates a clash of forces that can lead to misery.

However, Rucklidge doesn’t expect everyone to start taking supplements recklessly. Supplements can be helpful in some circumstances, but they’re not a panacea.

Instead, she wants this project to serve as a reminder that the dietary environment influences brain development.

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