Modern diets of processed foods, frozen dinners, and fast food have been linked to a worrying rise in the number of mental health cases.
Experts say changes to farming practices and a fall in the amount of fresh produce and fish being eaten are contributing to the increase.
Over the past 50 years, the average diet has been transformed beyond recognition, as has the way in which food is grown and produced.
Now there is growing scientific evidence linking the type of food people eat to mood and behavior.
Experts believe that dietary changes may hold the key to combating problems such as depression, schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and Alzheimer's disease.
A report by the Mental Health Foundation [in the UK], a charity, and food campaign group Sustain, says diet can have an immediate and lasting effect on a person's mind and behavior because of how it affects brain function and structure.
Dr. Andrew McCulloch, the Mental Health Foundation's chief executive, said, "We are well aware of the effect of diet upon our physical health, but we are only just beginning to understand how the brain, as an organ, is influenced by the nutrients it derives from the foods we eat, and how our diets have an impact on our mental health. This evidence raises a number of important questions for us all."
The Feeding Minds report says that changes in the way food is produced have not only reduced amounts of essential fats, vitamins and minerals in our diets, but have also disturbed the balance of nutrients in foods.
The growth of industrialized farming methods has introduced pesticides that alter the body fat composition of animals due to the diets they are fed.
As a result, our intake of important omega-3 fatty acids has decreased, while consumption of omega-6 fatty acids has increased.
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