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Why Is Mental Illness on the Rise? Is Nutrition Being Overlooked?

By Patrick Holford

Four people sitting together on a rocky hillside overlooking misty mountains, illustrating social connection and mental wellbeing in a discussion about the causes of mental health problems.

Why Is Nutrition Missing from the Mental Health Debate?

How can a major government review investigate the rise in mental health problems, ADHD and autism, yet give so little attention to one of the most fundamental requirements for a healthy brain: nutrition?

An independent review [1], a 600-page document, commissioned by the Government into the prevalence of and support for mental health conditions, ADHD and autism, completely ignores worsening nutrition as a contributor. The executive summary recognises that ‘recognition of ADHD and autism has risen dramatically’, and that the rise in mental health problems ‘cannot be explained by greater awareness alone’. The annual cost of mental ill health in England is now estimated at around £300 billion a year [2] – about double the NHS’s entire budget in England in 2022. It states that ADHD and autism are ‘strongly genetically influenced’. (Since the genes haven’t changed, this doesn’t explain the increase in underlying prevalence, if there is one.)

There is no mention of the word ‘nutrition’, except in relation to restrictive eating in autism; none of ‘omega-3’ or ‘vitamin’ and only one study relating to diet [3] in which ‘dietary improvement was associated with remission (of depression) in around 32%, compared with around 8% among those receiving social support.’ Result!

Are Nutritional Deficiencies Affecting Children’s Brain Health?

It makes no reference to the fact that 7% of UK children eat no fish at all [4], with less than one in three achieving two servings a week and only 4.5% achieving one serving of oily fish a week [5]. Or that one in five UK children are deficient in folate (intakes are dropping by 3% a year) [6] and that concerns have also been raised about inadequate vitamin B12 status in European children; and that only one in ten overweight women supplement folic acid in pregnancy [8] and that 89% of females of reproductive age have an intake below the level needed to prevent neural tube defects in pregnancy [6], raising important questions about whether inadequate folate status may also have consequences for children’s brain development.

How Does Nutrition During Pregnancy Affect Brain Development?

It ignores the fact that a mother’s folate intake is associated with the child’s cognitive performance at the age of 9 [9]. That giving mothers-to-be folic acid 400mcg was associated with better cognition at age 3 and better IQ at age 7[10] or that raised homocysteine (>9mcmol/l) before pregnancy was associated with an increased likelihood of withdrawn behaviour, anxiety, depression, social problems and aggressive behaviour in the child at the age of six [11]. Or that the observed prevalence of autism was approximately half that in the children of mothers who took prenatal vitamins in the first month of pregnancy [12], with another observational study finding a higher likelihood of an autism diagnosis among children whose mothers had not supplemented folic acid around conception [13]. Similarly studies show that a comprehensive nutritional intervention, including vitamin B12, other nutrients and dietary changes, led to improvements in IQ, communication, social skills and several behavioural and gastrointestinal symptoms [14].

Omega-3 and Mental Health: What Does the Research Show?

But the most convincing evidence relates to omega-3 intake. A study of 11,875 pregnant women shows a clear association between the amount of seafood consumed by a pregnant woman and their child’s development. The less seafood consumed, the worse the child’s social behaviour, fine motor skills, communication and social development, and verbal IQ[15]. A follow-up study found that, at age 9, those not eating fish had a 43% increased risk of behaviour problems with increased aggression [4]. Meta-analyses of omega-3 supplementation trials have also reported reductions in aggressive behaviour [16,17]. 

Not sure how omega-3 impacts your brain? Watch the video below for a quick summary

Are We Overlooking the Root Causes of Mental Health Problems?

As the UK’s new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, calls for a National Care Service[18] to take better care of those needing help, is no-one seriously asking what is causing the apparent rise in ADHD, autism, depression and mental health problems among children, given that 72% of those claiming benefits report having mental health issues[19]? Sure, there are psychological and social issues – life is hard for so many. Also, poverty and malnutrition go hand in hand.

But is no-one asking whether we’re failing to give developing brains the nutrients they need, and what the consequences might be?

Why Does the Brain Need Good Nutrition?

The brain is not separate from the body. It needs omega-3 fats to build healthy cell membranes, B vitamins for normal neurological development, amino acids to make neurotransmitters, and minerals such as zinc and iron to function properly. These are not optional extras. They are fundamental requirements for a healthy brain.

Should Nutrition Be a Public Health Priority?

Of course, there are many factors influencing mental health and brain development, from genetics and education to economic pressures and social and environmental influences. But we also have decades of research showing just how fundamental nutrition is to the brain. So why, when faced with rising mental health problems and diagnoses, are we not investigating whether declining nutritional health could be part of the picture?

This is precisely the kind of question we should be asking and why Food for the Brain exists.

We believe understanding the role of nutrition, and how improving it could help prevent mental health problems and support better brain function, should be a public health priority.

Take action for your brain health

Want to understand more about your own brain health and what you can do to protect it?

Start by taking Food for the Brain’s free Cognitive Function Testâ„¢, a scientifically validated assessment designed to help you understand your cognitive function and track changes over time.

Or explore the science in Patrick Holford’s book Upgrade Your Brain, which brings together the research on nutrition, lifestyle and the practical steps you can take to support better brain health.

References
  1. Cardoso F, McHayle Z. The economic and social costs of mental ill health. Centre for Mental Health, 2024.
  2. Nel L, Emmett PM, Golding J, Taylor CM. Seafood intake in children at age 7 years and neurodevelopmental outcomes in an observational cohort study (ALSPAC). European Journal of Nutrition 2025;64:120.
  3. Kranz S, Jones NRV, Monsivais P. Intake levels of fish in the UK paediatric population. Nutrients 2017;9(4):392.
  4. Jones KS, Collins D, Meadows SR, Koulman A, Page P. National Diet and Nutrition Survey data reveal a decline in folate status in the United Kingdom population between 2008 and 2019. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2023.
  5. Vogiatzoglou A, et al. Vitamin B12 status and rate of brain volume loss in community-dwelling elderly. Neurology 2008;71(11):826–832.
  6. Roigé-Castellví J, Murphy M, Fernández-Ballart J, Canals J. Moderately elevated preconception fasting plasma total homocysteine is a risk factor for psychological problems in childhood. Public Health Nutrition 2019;22(9):1615–1623.
  7. Schmidt RJ, et al. Prenatal vitamins, one-carbon metabolism gene variants, and risk for autism. Epidemiology 2011;22(4):476–485.
  8. Gajos JM, Beaver KM. The effect of omega-3 fatty acids on aggression: a meta-analysis. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews 2016;69:147–158.
  9. Raine A, Brodrick L. Omega-3 supplementation reduces aggressive behavior: a meta-analytic review of randomized controlled trials. Aggression and Violent Behavior 2024;78:101956.
  10. Bloch MH, Qawasmi A. Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation for the treatment of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptomatology: systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry 2011;50(10):991–1000.