Nutrition psychology

High school (ages 12+)
Human Body

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/nutrition-psychology

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific discipline?An applied field examining the interplay between dietary intake and psychological health
2. What is the primary focus?Investigates how nutrition influences mental processes, mood, and behavior
3. What does nutrition psychology study?It looks at how the food we eat affects our brain, mood, and thoughts.
4. How do foods help make us feel happy?Foods give our brain the building blocks like tryptophan and tyrosine that help make serotonin and dopamine, which help us feel good.

Gut-Brain Axis: The bidirectional communication pathway linking the gastrointestinal tract and the central nervous system.
Neuroinflammation: Inflammation occurring within the brain or spinal cord, often linked to dietary factors.
Psychobiotics: Live microorganisms that, when ingested in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host with regard to mental health.