Picture your last patient of the day: a 15-year-old girl with declining grades, poor sleep, and fatigue. Her parents are understandably concerned. Before reaching for the prescription pad or referring her to therapy, consider this: What she ate for lunch today might be part of the problem. With 1 in 7 adolescents worldwide diagnosed with mental health disorders, emerging research suggests that diet is a powerful yet often overlooked therapeutic tool.
Understanding the nutrition–mental health connection
Adolescence brings a perfect storm of mental health challenges—hormonal shifts, academic pressure, and social media stress. Research shows diet directly influences adolescents’ moods, focus, and emotional regulation.2 Poor mental health often manifests through subtle changes in daily functioning: chronic fatigue, difficulty concentrating, irritability, and social withdrawal. These symptoms, which we might attribute to typical teenage struggles, can be exacerbated or even triggered by nutritional deficiencies.
