Individuals suffering from food insecurity have a substantial lack of fruits, vegetables, and dairy. Diet can influence immune-inflammatory pathways, which play a role in multiple mood disorders.

Diet Quality and Food Insecurity

Those who experience food insecurity consume fewer essential vitamins and minerals. Some specific nutritional deficiencies are associated with worse mental health

Nutritional Deficiencies and Food Insecurity

Resources like government food assistance programs, food banks, and free food can often have difficult hurdles to navigate. Without healthy coping strategies, individuals experiencing food insecurity can be more prone to psychological burdens.

Resource Navigation and Food Insecurity

Food insecurity has associations with diet quality, nutritional deficiencies, and resource navigation that may lead to poorer mental health.

University of Delaware

Researchers believe that there is a relationship between an individuals' food insecurity and mental health. Acute psychological pain, anxiety, shame and depression are just a few examples of mental heath outcomes that could stem from having an unstable food source. Researchers have found that food insecurity is a predictor of poor mental health. They have also found that those who had more access to fruits and vegetables are less likely to experience poor mental health.

The Relationship Between Food Insecurity and Mental Health

Bergmans, R. S., Sadler, R. C., Wolfson, J. A., Jones, A. D., &amp; Kruger, D. (2019). Moderation of the association between individual food security and poor mental health by the local food environment among adult residents of Flint, Michigan. Health Equity, 3(1), 264–274. https://doi.org/10.1089/heq.2018.0103 

Moderation of the Association Between Individual Food Security and Poor Mental Health by the Local Food Environment Among Adult Residents of Flint, Michigan

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