Dr. Emeran Mayer welcomes Professor Felice Jacka, founder of the Food & Mood Centre and a global leader in nutritional psychiatry, for an in-depth discussion on how diet influences mental health and brain function.
Felice shares the groundbreaking research that launched an entire field, from the first studies linking diet quality to depression, to clinical trials demonstrating how dietary changes can improve major depressive disorder. She also takes us beyond the plate, showing how agriculture, soil health, and food systems play a critical role in shaping both human and planetary health.
You’ll also hear about her efforts to bring nutritional psychiatry into medical guidelines and education worldwide, and why simple, evidence-based changes, like cutting back on ultra-processed foods and adding more whole grains and legumes, can profoundly affect mood and resilience.
Key Topics Covered:
• What is nutritional psychiatry and why it matters
• How dietary patterns influence depression, anxiety, and cognition
• The SMILES and CALM trials: diet as a therapeutic tool
• The impact of ultra-processed foods on the microbiome and brain
• How soil biodiversity affects nutrient density and mental health
• Practical, evidence-based dietary shifts for everyday life
This conversation offers both hope and clarity: by improving diet quality, we can not only enhance individual mental health but also address the broader challenges of food systems and planetary well-being.
As always, please leave any questions or comments below. We hope you enjoy the episode!
Connect with Dr. Mayer:
Website: emeranmayer.com
Instagram: @emeranmayer
X: @EmeranMayerMD
YouTube: Emeran Mayer, MD
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Nutritional Psychiatry
05:50 The Complexity of Food and Mental Health
11:59 The Impact of Industrial Food Systems
18:06 Lifestyle Interventions in Mental Health Treatment
30:18 Nutritional Psychiatry Training and Resources
38:13 Evidence of Dietary Interventions in Mental Health
45:49 Challenges in Changing Dietary Habits
57:24 Whole Grains: The Key to Better Health