Capstone Outline

1. Purpose: The purpose of my capstone paper is to become more informed on my topic and
inform others on how the food in their daily lives affects them biologically in terms of mental
health.
2. Thesis: Given that diet affects everyone’s body, it is important to know its implication in mental
health and how people can benefit from altering their diet to improve their mindset.

3. Healthy Diet (Introduction)

a. Definition of a healthy diet
i. Source: Defining a healthy diet
1. Dictionary definition of food: “material consisting essentially of protein,
carbohydrate, and fat used in the body of an organism to sustain
growth, repair, and vital processes and to furnish energy”
2. Dietary Reference Intake is an umbrella term helped to define a healthy
diet: Key components of a healthy diet: fruits, dairy, protein, vegetables,
grains. Also included in DRI is the recommended amount of macro and
micro nutrients (ex: vitamins, minerals, protein, and calories).
3. Hard to get one accurate definition of what a healthy diet is, therefore
we should make an emphasis on differentiating between a healthy and
unhealthy diet
b. Relating back to thesis: It is important to understand what a healthy diet is before
delving into the topic of how a healthy diet affects mental health. Without defining what
a healthy diet entails, it is easy to fall victim to fad diets and unhealthy eating habits that
are marketed for profit and disguised to be healthy. A general definition of a healthy
diet also aids in providing direction for using diet as a repair for poor mental health.

4. Prenatal Diet
a. Prenatal DietGut Microbiota
i. Source: Gut microbiota’s effect on mental health
1. The microbiota begins development through the “placenta, amniotic
fluid, and meonium,” and continues even with mode of delivery, with
babies delivered vaginally having “higher amounts of bacteria in their
gut” than those delivered by Cesarean section
2. Babies that were breastfed were found to have higher “IgA levels and
Bifidobacterium genus present in the gut”
3. IgA responses are used to fight against certain bacteria. Formula-fed
babies are found to have higher concentrations of IL-6, a
“proinflammatory cytokine that normally presents in acute and chronic
inflammation”
b. Brazilian study
i. Source: Poor-quality prenatal dietary patterns
1. Dietary patterns are related to the prevalence of major-depressive
disorder in pregnant women, not anxiety.
2. Depression was higher for women who ate less fruits and vegetables.
 3. Poor prenatal diet leads to poor maternal and offspring mental health
c. Relating Back to Thesis: This shows how diet affects a specific set of people: pregnant
women, but it is also important because it shows the implications of a mother’s diet on
the mental health of her baby, which is why it is important to be aware of diet and
mental health issues.

5. Gut Microbiota
a. Function of Gut Microbiota
i. Source: Gut microbiota functions
1. “makes an important contribution to human metabolism by
contributing enzymes that are not encoded by the human genome”
(Rowland, I., et al.)
b. Types/Components of Adult Gut Microbiota
i. Source: Gut microbiota’s effect on mental health
1. Adult microbiota begins to develop as soon as a baby begins eating solid
food
2. Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium genera  Bacteroidetes and
Firmicutes phyla (132)
3. Defining a normal gut microbiota is difficult due to environmental
factors
4. Enterotypes dependent on diet and genetics
a. Bacteroides (high amounts of protein), Prevotella (high amounts
of carbohydrates), Ruminococcus
c. Gut-Brain Axis
i. Source: Source: Microbiome in brain function
1. “a bi-deirectional communication network encompassing the CNS,
sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of ANS…and gut
microbiota” (290).
d. Leaky Gut Syndrome
i. Source: Gut microbiota’s effect on mental health
1. Microbiome is challenged and the physiology of the microbiome
changesincreased intestinal permeabilitybacteria leaks through the
gut into systemic circulation (leaking through and entering blood flow
affects the brain and nervous system)
e. Inflammation
i. Source: Gut microbiota’s effect on mental health
1. Inflammation=inflammation of the Gastro-Intestinal Tractincreased
intestinal permeability
2. “places stress on the microbiome through the release of cytokines and
neurotransmitters” (132).
3. Increased TNF and MCP increase the permeability of the blood-brain
barrier, and rogue molecules from the permeable gut affect the body in
larger ways
 a. Influence brain function, leading to anxiety, depression, and
memory loss
f. Aid in Mental Health
i. Source: Microbiome in brain function
1. Microbiota-targeted interventions
g. Relating Back to Thesis: Food has a major impact on the gut microbiota, and the
evidence provided from studies involving the gut microbiota support the need for the
population to be informed on how their diet affects their literal biological makeup and
subsequently affect their mental health. This also points in a new direction for how to
help deal with mental health issues through the use of an improved diet.

6. Hippocampus
a. Source: Western diet is associated with a smaller hippocampus
i. the smaller the hippocampal size, the more susceptible to mental illness one is
ii. “diets higher in nutrient and antioxidant-rich foods would be associated with
larger hippocampal volumes, and that diets higher in saturated fats and refined
carbohydrates would be associated with smaller hippocampal volumes”
iii. Western diet is independently associated with a shrinkage of the left-
hemisphere of the hippocampus
iv. Healthy diet is linked with a larger left-hemisphere hippocampus
b. Relating Back to Thesis: This section shows that not only do bodily function such as the
gut have an effect on mental health, but that your diet also has a direct effect on your
brain and how it functions. This is particularly important for mental diseases like
Alzheimer’s that deal with memory.

7. Diet as a Cure (Conclusion)

a. Probiotics
i. I just found info. on this today, so I need to find more research, but I feel like
this is a good push into the future for a conclusion to the paper.