Food and Mental health

Recent studies have shown a possible link between food and social anxiety problems. Such types of foods being fermented foods, which have probiotics. This study is the first in its time that psychologists have decided to take the research further and continue exploring the connection between the mind and the stomach.  They will proceed by examining the data again to see whether there is a correlation between fermented food intake and autism symptoms. Although, this approach may not be valid, as it is difficult to establish a cause and affect of the data using correlation. However, correlation research has been deemed ethical as it enables the researchers to manipulate variables which would be unethical to manipulate in an laboratory setting.

Recent studies led by William and Mary researchers shows the stomach may play an important role in our mental health. 

Psychology professors have recently investigated a possible connection between fermented foods (which contain probiotics) and social anxiety. They found that young people who eat fermented foods have fewer social anxiety symptoms.

The researchers designed a questionnaire which was giving in the University of Maryland's introduction to Psychology, 700 students participated. The questionnaire asked students to detail the fermented foods they had consumed within the last 30 days. It also inquired about amount of exercise and their average intake of fruits and vegetables. This enables the researchers to take into account some external variables other than just fermented foods.

Within the first set of findings they found that students who ate more fermented foods had reduced social anxiety (show by neuroticism). The relationship was strongest amongst people who has higher levels of neuroticism.

The researchers are set to create an experimental version of the study in order to establish a cause and effect between eating fermented food and reduced social anxiety.

In conclusion the study is some what reliable, however, disadvantages would include the use of questionnaires as participants may fake their answers due to social desirability. Further more the study was only used on people of the same age group (University students) causing the study to lack population validity.