health &wellbeing THE CONNECTION BETWEEN NUTRITION AND WELLNESS

Professor Julia Rucklidge from the University of Canterbury has an online course about nutrition and wellness. Rucklidge trained as a clinical psychologist over 25 years ago in Canada.

Amid her PhD, her supervisor Bonnie Kaplan told Rucklidge about families in Southern Alberta, Canada, who were using nutrients, specifically vitamins and minerals in a pill form, to treat severe health disorders, including bipolar disorder and depression. Throughout her training, Rucklidge had been taught that nutrition was irrelevant to brain health.

“It was a bit of a disconnect with my education to hear about these stories. These families were claiming to be doing very, very well with additional nutrients to the point where some of them no longer needed medications,” said Rucklidge.

Rucklidge completed her post-doctoral training in Toronto and moved to New Zealand in 2000. However, she kept hearing of Kaplan’s research, which was publishing interesting preliminary findings regarding nutrients and brain health, which prompted Rucklidge to undertake to study it herself with the mindset that either her research would prove that they did not work, which would be of help to individuals investing in purchasing supplements, or it would prove that it did work, which would again be beneficial public knowledge.

Therefore, Rucklidge began clinical trials approximately 15 years ago. The publishing data made her realise that what she was taught in training was entirely incorrect, as her research (and that of others) showed that micronutrients were central to brain health.

Secondly, she learned that the vitamins and minerals used in her clinical trials, which have specific dosages, were making an incredible impact. Rucklidge emphasised that consumers checking the dosage on the label of the supplements they take was imperative, as products can be marketed based on the presence of an ingredient rather than whether its presence is sufficient to execute the benefits of the said vitamin or minerals.

With growing consumer consciousness on health and well-being, specifically, a drive to build healthier habits following the pandemic, Rucklidge warned that the percentage of ultra-processed foods which are marketed with terminologies associated as a health benefit, for example, ‘plantbased’, are foods consumers need to be wary of due to their micronutrient profiles and as Rucklidge cautiously stated, could be toxic to consumer health as research is showing that consumption of ultra-processed foods is a significant risk factor for poor mental health outcomes. Rucklidge quickly commented that there were plant-based products that were indeed healthy. However, the trained clinical psychologist and professor emphasised concern over the liberal use of specific labels and terms associated with health that are not accurate indicators of the health value of a product when the processing and actual nutrient levels were correctly assessed.

“It’s empty advertising.”

Furthermore, Rucklidge cited NZ research that showed that 42 percent of two-yearolds’ diet was made up of ultra-processed food, increasing to 51 percent as children reach the age of five, which are critical years of development during children’s lives.

The concern Rucklidge shared over the labelling and actual nutrient value of foods was centred around her concern for New Zealander’s health and the chronic illnesses many New Zealanders face, an issue Rucklidge iterated should be a concern for all. Rucklidge revealed further that the average New Zealander consumes 37 teaspoons of sugar every day, posing the question of where this is coming from.

“The food industry could play an important role in reversing [chronic illness] by stopping selling these types of products to consumers and being concerned about the health value of their foods.”

Rucklidge revealed that processed foods dominate New Zealand supermarket shelves, estimating that 69 percent are over-processed. The research Rucklidge conducted has shown that vitamins and minerals in specific dosages for optimum efficiency for mental health improved psychological function and mood regulation, with decreases in stress with improvements in attention, which suggested to Rucklidge that the foods people are eating are not nutritionally adequate.

Rucklidge further shared concern over the significant increases in food prices, with difficulty for those on low incomes to eat well, given the direct relationship between wellness and food consumed.

“How is it that 20 percent of New Zealanders are food insecure?”

The clinical psychologist shared that with New Zealand’s capacity to feed 40 million, that consideration into prioritising New Zealanders being fed must be addressed.

When advising consumers, Rucklidge shared that while ultra-processed foods don’t need to be wholly eliminated from diets, it would be best to only take up to 20 percent of consumers’ diets, encouraging consumers to prioritise the intake of whole foods, such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, seeds, fish for its essential fatty acids, and grass-fed beef to avoid creating deficiencies. Rucklidge discussed this was a risk when doing restrictive diets such as veganism or vegetarianism.

When discussing the intake of supplements, the key feature that Rucklidge emphasised consumers and manufacturers alike should prioritise is the dosage of the advertised ingredients. Using the example of fish oil, the EHA and DPA content of fish oil supplements was imperative to investigate. One gram is the minimum requirement for the supplement to make any impact consumers desire based on their reason for purchasing it. Furthermore, specifically for fish oil, those older and seeking joint relief must consume more to feel the supplement’s benefits.

Rucklidge shared that she believed there should be regulation on the products. However, the issue was complex as supplements are technically food.

When advising manufacturers on the health of producing their products, she encouraged consideration of pesticides used for crops as these can have health consequences.

From her research, Rucklidge hopes that it could impact the population, government, and food producers to recognise and take responsibility for the effects of food on the health of New Zealanders. She pointed out that there were many ethically minded food producers. However, some still needed to address the implication and consequences of their products for consumers. Secondly, Rucklidge hoped the research would support broader knowledge and awareness of the connection between nutrition and psychological and physical health. n

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