How Nutrition Supports Emotional Health

Guest blog by Lillian Craggs-Dino, DHA, RDN, LDN, FASMBS-IH

Research shows that many Americans are dealing with high levels of stress and emotional health challenges. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, more than one in five Americans experience mental health issues, nearly 75% report moderate to high stress, and 77% say that stress affects their physical health.¹

If you’re feeling this way, you’re not alone. The good news is that metabolic and bariatric surgery has been shown to improve several emotional and mental health conditions, including anxiety, depression, and binge-eating disorder.²

Why Nutrient Deficiencies Matter After Bariatric Surgery

After bariatric surgery, your body absorbs nutrients differently. This means you are at a higher risk for vitamin and mineral deficiencies, especially if you’re eating smaller portions, struggling with food intolerance, or not always able to access high-quality foods. Several nutrients directly support your emotional, mental, and neurological health, so low levels after surgery can worsen existing symptoms.

The following deficiencies have a direct impact on your mental health:

• Deficiencies in vitamins B₁, B₁₂, and folate can lead to depression, anxiety, fatigue, memory problems, and in severe cases, Wernicke’s encephalopathy.
• Vitamin D deficiency is linked to depression, anxiety, seasonal affective disorder, bipolar disorder, OCD, and schizophrenia.³
• Calcium deficiency may contribute to anxiety, depression, confusion, and memory loss.
• Other mineral deficiencies, including iron, copper, magnesium, selenium, and zinc also play roles in emotional and neurological health.³

The Importance of Lifelong Supplementation

After bariatric surgery, you must take vitamin and mineral supplements for life. These nutrients are essential for your physical and emotional well-being. Evidence-based recommendations for the types and amounts of micronutrients are shown in Table 1.

Table 1. Micronutrients Recommended Post-Bariatric Surgery⁴

Regular follow-up visits and lab work help your care team catch deficiencies early. If you’re struggling emotionally, a referral to a behavioral health specialist can also give you the support you need.

How Your Food Choices Affect Emotional Health

Certain unhealthy or ultraprocessed foods are linked to higher levels of depression.⁵ Foods high in caffeine, sugar, refined and processed ingredients, omega-6 fats, and alcohol may negatively affect emotional and mental well-being.⁵

The MIND Diet and ModiMed Diet combine the best parts of the Mediterranean and DASH diets. They focus on high-fiber foods, complex carbohydrates, and nutrient-dense options that support brain health and may reduce depression.⁵

Because you eat smaller portions after surgery, choosing nutrient‑dense foods becomes even more important. Table 2 outlines recommended foods.

Table 2. The MIND Diet⁵

The ModiMed Diet is a modified version of the mediterrean diet with daily and weekly recommendations for 12 key food groups.

Conclusion

You cannot control every stressor in your life, but you can support your emotional health through nutrition. Eating well and taking your recommended vitamins and minerals can help you feel more balanced and prevent deficiencies that may worsen symptoms. Lifelong follow‑up and regular lab monitoring are key parts of staying healthy after bariatric surgery.

References

1. National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Accessed from https://www.nami.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/NAMI_YouAreNotAlone_2025.pdf.
2. Law S et al. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2023;14:1283621.
3. Peterson N. “Psychiatric and Cognitive Consequences of Post-Bariatric Nutritional Deficiencies”. Presented at ASMBS Weekend 2025, Louisville Kentucky.
4. Mechanick JI et al. Endocr Pract. 2019;25(12):1346-1359.
5. Jacka FN et al. BMC Med. 2017;15(1):23. Erratum in: BMC Med. 2018 Dec 28;16(1):236. doi: 10.1186/s12916-018-1220-6.