Drawing attention to the psychological aspect of nutrition, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan pointed out the effects of dietary choices on mental health. Emphasizing the importance of gut health, Tarhan said, “The intestines work like a serotonin factory in the brain. They don't function like the brain, but they produce material for the brain. The gut prepares the brain’s fuel.” Prof. Dr. Tarhan warned, “There is a causal link between unhealthy basic brain fuel and nutritional errors, and obesity and Alzheimer’s in old age.”
“There is a causal link between nutritional errors and Alzheimer’s”
Üsküdar Üniversitesi Founding Rector, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, evaluated the psychological aspect of nutrition.
Dietary choices affect mental health
Emphasizing that dietary choices affect human mental health, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan said, “To understand how effective and important it is, the first life event humanity experienced is actually related to the psychology of nutrition. Adam’s eating the apple from Eve’s hand and being unable to control a kind of pleasure sensation is an important example. It begins as humanity’s first test in the form of not being able to control nutrition. Currently, we call the psychology of nutrition ‘emotional eating’. Behind the psychology of nutrition is the inability to manage the feeling of eating and drinking.”
Psychological factors play a role in eating decisions
Stating that humans have three important basic needs, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan said, “There are three basic needs that are equal to other living beings: nutrition, shelter, and reproduction. These are fundamental needs and must be met. If not met, a person’s health deteriorates and it causes them to become aggressive. That’s why psychological factors play a very significant role in a person’s eating decisions and preferences. Currently, the serious relationship between our nutrition and marketing techniques, which best show how these psychological factors play a role, has been disrupted.”
Turkey ranks third in obesity
Stating that Turkey is among the three countries with the most widespread obesity in the world, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan said, “One-third of the society is obese. And they are obese in a way that warrants clinical diagnosis. These are people whose body mass index has exceeded 30. The USA is in the first place, Saudi Arabia in the second, and Turkey in the third. Some spend their time snacking. In Turkey, 46 percent of women and 22 percent of men are at the obesity limit. These are very high rates. This means that as a society, we have gone off track regarding nutrition; we are eating incorrectly. We are becoming victims of unhealthy eating due to snacking or the Western fast-food culture. On the other hand, our entirely traditional diet consists of carbohydrate-heavy and fatty foods.”
Those without label literacy fall into advertising traps!
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that people should no longer consume packaged foods without reading their labels, saying, “Label literacy is very important for good nutrition. Anyone without label literacy falls into advertising traps related to nutrition. The American Food and Drug Administration introduced mandatory food labeling in the 90s. It’s a good thing that labeling became mandatory. If it hadn’t, fast-food culture would have completely dominated nutrition with Western-style fast food, cola, sugar, and hamburger culture. This culture seriously increases obesity. We also have plenty of pastry dishes. Especially in Central Anatolia, unnecessary carbohydrates are ingested, which then turn into blood fats and are stored in the body,” he warned.
Unhealthy eating has disrupted the gut microbiota
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan noted that there are beneficial bacteria in the intestines and said:
“80 percent of bacteria are beneficial bacteria. These beneficial bacteria are called probiotics. Many vitamins, minerals, many antioxidants, and even serotonin, which we know as the happiness hormone, are produced in the body through these bacteria in the intestines. They are not used there but are released into the body. However, unhealthy eating has also disrupted the gut microbiota. The balance of beneficial bacteria, which we call probiotics, in the intestines has been disturbed. As a result, serotonin production in the body has also been disrupted. Serotonin in the body is not only related to the brain but also to sleep, appetite, and happiness. There is a substance called tryptophan. It is most commonly found in hazelnuts, rye bread, and whole grain products. The bran part of wheat, or rather flour, was given to animals, and people ate the refined part. Years passed deprived of these, and due to unhealthy eating, the intestinal flora of most people was disturbed.”
The intestines prepare the brain’s fuel
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that they no longer take more radical steps in the treatment of depression without correcting the microbiota in our intestines, saying, “The intestines are defined as the second brain. Although a bit exaggerated, there is some truth to it. The intestines work like a serotonin factory for the brain. They don't function like the brain, but they produce material for the brain. We can say that the gut prepares the brain’s fuel. Because the microbiota in the intestines is disrupted, the wrong fuel goes to the brain. For example, in a car, there is feeding the engine with Premium fuel and feeding it with faulty fuel. If we run the car with first-class fuel, efficiency, performance, and energy increase. Since the fuel going to the brain is somewhat faulty, the brain does not function healthily.”
There is a causal link between nutritional errors and Alzheimer’s
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan pointed out that the disruption in serotonin production is shown among the reasons for the increase in Alzheimer's, saying, “There is a causal link between unhealthy basic brain fuel and nutritional errors, and obesity and Alzheimer’s in old age. There is a serious cause-and-effect relationship. Marketing techniques employ viral marketing. Children say at a young age, ‘I only live on chocolate.’ A person comes to university and still says, ‘I live on chocolate.’ It disrupts the human brain’s reward-punishment system. There is no difference between a drug and chocolate here. That’s why people seriously need to learn to control eating this. They eat chocolate and become obese because they eat too much.”
They don't see what they eat because perception blindness occurs!
Emphasizing that if emotional eating is not corrected, it will lead to errors in eating and nutrition, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan said, “There are many masked depressions. The person is not depressed. They are cheerful and lively, but they are emotionally eating. In other words, they are trying to suppress their stress by eating. They get bored and go to the refrigerator; they get bored and drink cola or soda. These people then say, ‘I don’t eat anything, even water makes me gain weight.’ In such cases, nutritionists have a very good practice. They say, ‘Please make a note of what you eat.’ Psychologists who deal with nutrition also do this. The person starts in the morning, noting down everything they eat and drink. In the evening, they say, ‘What have I eaten?’ They don’t see what they eat because perception blindness occurs. Because it is emotional eating, perception blindness occurs. They are not even aware of what they are eating. That’s why we say to note down everything you eat to create awareness.”
Unhealthy eating damages cells and causes premature aging
Referring to the negative effects of excessive carbohydrate consumption, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan said, “This type of nutrition increases oxidative stress. It creates an oxidative base in the body. This situation leads to accumulation in tissues. It causes internal arteriosclerosis. It slows down cells and weakens the sensitivity of cell membrane permeability. Previous old information considered the cell’s nucleus as its brain, but now, according to the latest information, the cell’s brain is its membrane. The smartest part of the cell is the microtubules. They communicate throughout the body. Cells in the body communicate with other cells just like radio and the internet. Unhealthy eating disrupts these, damages cells, and causes premature aging,” he warned.
Unhealthy eating shortens life expectancy
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that according to the human genetic code, the actual age is 140, and some views suggest it can go up to 180, saying, “However, due to unhealthy eating and obesity, the average lifespan is shortened. But recently, there has been a social awareness against obesity.”
Do we eat because we are unhappy, or for pleasure?
Stating that obesity is caused by food addiction, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan said, “When an obese person comes to us, we investigate the underlying psychological reasons. Why does this person eat? Do they eat because they are unhappy, or for pleasure? The reward-punishment system in these people’s brains is disrupted.”
Emphasizing that the reward-punishment system in the brain is the fundamental system of our entire brain, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan said, “The human brain works in a gain-oriented way. That is, when it sees a gain in what it does, it does that work. It is also the case in marketing techniques. If a person thinks they will gain from it, they buy that product. A person whose reward-punishment system in the brain is disrupted eats more. Addiction is also called reward deficiency syndrome. Obese people have severe eating addiction, just like substance addiction. If they don’t eat, they go into a crisis, which is why they cannot lose weight. Because control is disrupted.”
Conscious eating habits should be instilled during childhood
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that conscious and healthy eating should be learned from a young age, saying, “It is important to strike a balance when it comes to eating. Neither excessive eating nor not eating at all. Both can lead to serious problems. Because not eating at all, an eating disorder, is also a disease. It causes some diseases like anorexia or bulimia. The person thinks they are 150 kilos even though they are 29 kilos. The perception of eating in the brain is disrupted, and the state of hunger and fullness is disturbed. Especially, we need to correct the eating impulse and instill smart eating habits from childhood.”
Be careful with weight loss drugs
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that substances sold as weight loss drugs on the market, especially online, can invite significant health problems, saying, “These types of substances reduce appetite but disrupt brain chemistry. They disrupt the balance of serotonin and dopamine in the brain, which can lead to schizophrenic reactions. Therefore, it is necessary to be very careful against such dangerous substances.”
Omega-3 protects the cell membrane
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan noted that three-quarters of brain tissue consists of fatty tissue, saying, “The brain is not meat, it is fat. For this, Mediterranean-style diets include Omega-3 in foods like hazelnuts, walnuts, flaxseed, kidney beans, and Brussels sprouts. Omega-3 is a vitamin that protects the cell membrane. Omega-3 has a very protective effect on nerve cells. It can be effective especially in the development of mental abilities and in improving school performance. A healthy mind and a healthy body mean a healthy cell membrane. This is closely related to the Mediterranean diet.”