Oral Presentation (max 20 mins including Q&A) National Men's Health Gathering 2025

Why nutrition must be at the core of men’s mental health care management  (129230)

Sarah Manton 1 , Sarah Manton 1
  1. The Health Mechanic, Murrumbeena, VICTORIA, Australia

Mental health in men is finally receiving long overdue attention. Despite many positive steps forward, a critical piece of the cognitive health puzzle continues to be overlooked- nutrition. The brain is metabolically demanding and nutrient-sensitive, however links between diet, mood disorders, memory, and long-term cognitive health are often absent from clinical discussions, overlooked in Australian health policy development, and not widely understood by the general population.

This presentation explores the evidence connecting micronutrient status to brain function across the male lifespan. Key nutrients involved in neurotransmitter synthesis, neuroplasticity, and mood regulation are explored. Many Australian men fall below recommended daily intakes of critical nutrients. Inadequate intake is further compounded by pharmaceutical agents1,2, high alcohol consumption3,4, stress5, and poor sleep6- all of which increase demand and further deplete the very nutrients required for cognitive and emotional wellbeing.

Symptoms such as low mood, addiction, poor focus, and emotional dysregulation are strongly correlated to nutritional imbalances in both adults and children7,8,9,10,11 yet are often attributed solely to psychological or social factors, or to conditions such as neurodivergence, depression, or anxiety. Research suggests mitigating these nutritional deficiencies may not only reduce symptoms but enhance responsiveness to conventional treatments7,9,12. Neurodivergent individuals, including those with ADHD or autism spectrum profiles, show unique nutritional demands, and studies confirm significant benefits from targeted dietary support9,13,14.

Cognitive decline is another key health issue for Australian men, often associated with chronic inflammation, metabolic dysfunction, and nutritional deficiencies15,16,17,18,19. Nutritional therapy to support cerebrovascular health, reduce neuroinflammation, and improve microcirculation has been shown to enhance memory, and may potentially delay age-related cognitive decline20,21,22. Despite this, nutritional assessment is rarely included in mental health care, leaving a major therapeutic gap.

This session will translate the latest research on the benefits of nutrient and dietary therapy for men’s mental health. We explore the nutrients most relevant in mental health care, and how diet and supplementation can be used safely alongside psychological support and pharmaceutical interventions. We discuss the importance of dietary screening, testing nutrient levels against optimal rather than adequate ranges, and the essential role of collaborative care. Improving men’s mental health requires recognising nutrition as central to both treatment and prevention, with nutritional strategies embedded across preventative health initiatives and clinical care plans to enhance efficacy, quality of care and both individual and community health outcomes.

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  2. Yalcin, N., Armut, M., Kelleci Cakir, B., & Demirkan, K. (2020). Drug-induced nutritional disorders. Clinical Science of Nutrition, 1(3), 113–122. https://doi.org/10.5152/clinscinutr.2020.962
  3. McClean, C., Ivers , I., Antony, A., & McMahon, A. (2024). Malnutrition nutritional deficiency and alcohol. Australian Journal of General Practice. https://www1.racgp.org.au/ajgp/2024/april/malnutrition-nutritional-deficiency-and-alcohol
  4. Butts, M., Sundaram, V. L., Murughiyan, U., Borthakur, A., & Singh, S. (2023). The influence of alcohol consumption on intestinal nutrient absorption: a comprehensive review. Nutrients, 15(7), 1571. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15071571
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  6. Ikonte, C., Mun, J., Reider, C., Grant, R., & Mitmesser, S. (2019). Micronutrient inadequacy in short sleep: analysis of the nhanes 2005–2016. Nutrients, 11(10), 2335. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11102335
  7. Hoepner, C. T., McIntyre, R. S., & Papakostas, G. I. (2021). Impact of supplementation and nutritional interventions on pathogenic processes of mood disorders: a review of the evidence. Nutrients, 13(3), 767. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13030767
  8. Zielińska, M., Łuszczki, E., & Dereń, K. (2023). Dietary nutrient deficiencies and risk of depression. Nutrients, 15(11), 2433–2433. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15112433
  9. Greenblatt, J. M., & Delane, D. D. (2017). Micronutrient deficiencies in adhd: A global research consensus. Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine, 32(6). https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324221518_Micronutrient_deficiencies_in_ADHD_A_global_research_consensus
  10. Villagomez, A., Cross, M., & Ranjbar, N. (2023). Broad spectrum micronutrients: a potential key player to address emotional dysregulation. Frontiers in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 2. https://doi.org/10.3389/frcha.2023.1295635
  11. Stern, M. M. (2020). Does blood nutrient concentration correlate with adhd and emotional dysregulation symptom severity? Exploring the effects of multinutrient supplementation in adhd youth. Ohio Library and Information Network. https://etd.ohiolink.edu/acprod/odb_etd/etd/r/1501/10?clear=10&p10_accession_num=osu1595508918067648
  12. Firth, J., Teasdale, S. B., Allott, K., Siskind, D., Marx, W., Cotter, J., Veronese, N., Schuch, F., Smith, L., Solmi, M., Carvalho, A. F., Vancampfort, D., Berk, M., Stubbs, B., & Sarris, J. (2019). The efficacy and safety of nutrient supplements in the treatment of mental disorders: a meta‐review of meta‐analyses of randomized controlled trials. World Psychiatry, 18(3), 308–324. https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.20672
  13. Abhishek, F., Gugnani, J. S., Kaur, H., Damera, A. R., Mane, R., Sekhri, A., Singh, G., & Kaur, G. (2024). Dietary interventions and supplements for managing attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (adhd): a systematic review of efficacy and recommendations. Cureus. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.69804
  14. Pérez-Cabral, I. D., Bernal-Mercado, A. T., Islas-Rubio, A. R., Suárez-Jiménez, G. M., Robles-García, M. Á., Puebla-Duarte, A. L., & Del-Toro-Sánchez, C. L. (2024). Exploring dietary interventions in autism spectrum disorder. Foods, 13(18). https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13183010
  15. Prinelli, F., Fratiglioni, L., Musicco, M., Johansson, I., Adorni, F., Shakersain, B., Rizzuto, D., & Xu, W. (2019). The impact of nutrient-based dietary patterns on cognitive decline in older adults. Clinical Nutrition, 38(6), 2813–2820. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnu.2018.12.012
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  19. Walker, K., Gottesman, R., Wu, A., Knopman, D., Gross, A., Mosley, T., Selvin, E., & Windham, B. (2019). Systemic inflammation during midlife and cognitive change over 20 years: the aric study. Neurology Journals, 92(11). https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000007094
  20. Bhatti, G. K., Reddy, A. P., Reddy, P. H., & Bhatti, J. S. (2020). Lifestyle modifications and nutritional interventions in aging-associated cognitive decline and alzheimer’s disease. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2019.00369
  21. Gutierrez, L., Folch, A., Rojas, M., Cantero, J. L., Atienza, M., Folch, J., Camins, A., Ruiz, A., Papandreou, C., & Bulló, M. (2021). Effects of nutrition on cognitive function in adults with or without cognitive impairment: a systematic review of randomized controlled clinical trials. Nutrients, 13(11), 3728. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13113728
  22. Dominguez, L. J., & Barbagallo, M. (2018). Nutritional prevention of cognitive decline and dementia. Acta Biomedica, 89(2), 276–290. https://doi.org/10.23750/abm.v89i2.7401