Nutrition is usually taken to be important for physical health, but mental health brain health in its widest sense must be considered as equally important. A diet lacking essential nutrients or containing too many ingredients that are detrimental in excess is likely to have adverse consequences for brain function and thus mental health and behaviour. It is widely agreed that a balanced diet is required to support physical health and there is good scientific evidence suggesting that the Mediterranean diet is a good model. It is likely that a balanced diet of this kind is also beneficial for the healthy functioning of the brain.
It is now established that certain essential fatty acids (EFAs) especially Arachidonic Acid (AA) and Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) form an important part of the cellular structure of the brain and in maintaining its normal functions. But there is no nutritional magic bullet. No nutrient works in isolation; a deficiency in one leads to sub optimal functioning of others. The lack of certain nutrients, however, may be associated with a range of mental and behavioural disorders as this report describes. A deficiency of omega-3 EFAs is associated with certain mental and behavioural disorders, such as ADHD, depression, dementia, dyspraxia, greater impulsivity and aggressive behaviour, but the association is still only partly understood.