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ISNPR

International Society for Nutritional Psychiatry Research: 2017 conference

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This is the first major international meeting of the International Society for Nutritional Psychiatry Research and will be held July 30 – August 2, in Bethesda, MD, USA. The conference will comprise:

  • Plenary presentations from leading international researchers
  • State of the art symposia and free oral presentations from researchers and clinicians
  • Multidisciplinary workshops for psychiatrists, psychologists, dietitians, nutritionists and other health professionals
  • An exciting social program

This meeting will reflect the broad spectrum of research, from the sub-cellular to translation and implementation science. There will also be a strong focus on basic science and the biological processes and factors that underpin the links between diet, nutrition and mental health, including the brain-gut-microbe axis, immunology and metabolic processes and molecular science. The program will cater to the interests of researchers and clinicians from the fields of public health, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity and dietetics, as well as psychiatry and psychology.

I’m excited to have the opportunity to hear and meet so many amazing food/nutrient and mental health researchers, many of whom I’ve referenced in my book and shared on my blog and in presentations:

  • Food mood /microbiome researcher, Professor Felice Jacka, President, International Society for Nutritional Psychiatry Research
  • Microbiome researcher, Professor John F. Cryan
  • Micronutrient researcher, Julia Rucklidge
  • Sugar and trans fats researcher, Professor Almudena Sánchez-Villegas, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
  • Nutraceuticals researcher, Professor Jerome Sarris;
  • Hypoglycemia/anxiety researcher, Monique Aucoin ND and so many more!

I’ve been accepted to do a rapid fire presentation on gluten-free/Paleo diet for anxiety and will also be presenting a poster on GABA/amino acids for anxiety. What an honor!

You can find the program information here.

This is a conference for health professionals but I’m pleased to announce that the Sunday sessions are OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

More information and registration for INSPR 2017 here.

Nutritional medicine in modern psychiatry: position statement by ISNPR

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world-psychiatry

A letter published this month in World Psychiatry, the official journal of the World Psychiatric Association, is titled: “International Society for Nutritional Psychiatry Research consensus position statement: nutritional medicine in modern psychiatry.”

You may recall my interview with Dr. Felice Jacka on season 1 of The Anxiety Summit: The Research – Food to prevent and treat anxiety and depression?  Dr. Jacka is one of the authors of this position statement and a co-founder of the International Society for Nutritional Psychiatry Research/ISNPR which was formed in 2013 with the aim to advance research and communication on nutritional medicine in the field of psychiatry.

Here is an excerpt from the position statement from ISNPR:

Although the growth in scientific research related to nutrition in psychiatry may be recent, it is now at a stage where it can no longer be ignored. In light of this, we aim to provide a platform to move towards a new integrated paradigm in psychiatry whereby nutritional considerations (both educational and prescriptive) can be considered “mainstream”. To this end, we present a consensus position statement from the International Society for Nutritional Psychiatry Research (ISNPR).

They state that what we are doing now is not working, that little is being done about prevention, and that nutrition needs to be part of treatment and prevention:

Present treatment of mental disorders is achieving sub-optimal outcomes; in addition little attention is given to preventative efforts. Due to the immense burden of mental disorders, there is now an urgent need to identify modifiable targets to reduce the incidence of these disorders. Diet and nutrition offer key modifiable targets for the prevention of mental disorders and have a fundamental role in the promotion of mental health.

They state that diet and nutrient-based approached approaches need to be included for mental health treatment and for prevention:

In addition to dietary modification, we recognize that nutrient-based (nutraceutical) prescription has the potential to assist in the management of mental disorders at the individual and population level. Many of these nutrients have a clear link to brain health, including: omega-3s, B vitamins (particularly folate and B12), choline, iron, zinc, magnesium, S-adenosyl methionine (SAMe), vitamin D, and amino acids. While we advocate for these to be consumed in the diet where possible, additional select prescription of these as nutraceuticals may also be justified.

veggies

They call for ongoing research, changes in food policy, and better public and clinician education (based on all the new research in this field of nutritional psychiatry).

I look forward to the outcome of the RCT dietary intervention for depression / “SMILES” trial later this year, additional dietary studies, and more studies on individual nutrients such as amino acids like GABA and tryptophan, minerals like zinc and others (which we know work so well for so many people). I’d also love to see trials that look at biochemical individuality and diets and nutrients customized to that uniqueness. I know we’re heading in this direction.    

The position statement ends with this:

It is the intention that this position statement and the ongoing work of ISNPR will assist in facilitating a transformation in psychiatry to better address the substantial global burden of mental illness, recognizing and embracing diet and nutrition as central determinants of both physical and mental health.

You can read the whole statement here in World Psychiatry

I say bravo to Dr. Jacka, ISNPR and the researchers who are at the forefront of this exciting research. I also say bravo to all the health practitioners who are already using this work with patients and clients. And finally, I say bravo to the anxious and depressed individuals who are implementing these powerful changes and seeing dramatic results.

It certainly is exciting to be part of this change!