⋆ The potential of nutrition to promote physical and behavioural well-being
This chapter explores the potential beneficial effects of good nutrition on a person's behaviour and well-being. The opening section recounts anthropological studies establishing the link between nutrition and the evolution of the human brain. The differences between the diet of our ancestors and modern-day food are identified, coupled with developments in food production and acquisition leading to issues such as dietary complacency and food inequality. A combination of these factors has been linked to specific health risks. Dietary standards have traditionally been geared towards health issues excluding behavioural well-being, and a section is devoted to assessing its impact on brain function and activity. The detrimental effect of changes in the modern diet on a person's behavioural well-being is tackled, beginning with references to psychological disorders such as depression and schizophrenia, to childhood developmental disorders, and even anti-social behaviour. The chapter concludes with the global implications of nutrition on well-being.
Keywords: nutrition, well-being, human brain, diet, dietary complacency, food inequality, dietary standards, depression, schizophrenia, anti-social behaviour
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