Abstract

OPTIMIZING WOMEN'S MENTAL HEALTH THROUGH PROPER DIETARY REGIMEN: AN INTEGRATIVE REVIEW

*Dr. Priyanka Pradhan, Dr. Shilpa Donga, Dr. S. N. Lungare

Abstract

Women's mental health is profoundly influenced by hormonal, physiological, and psychosocial changes occurring across different reproductive life stages. Emerging evidence highlights nutrition as a key modifiable factor affecting psychological well-being through its influence on neurotransmitter synthesis, neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and the microbiota–gut–brain axis. This integrative review explores the role of proper dietary regimen in optimizing women's mental health by synthesizing evidence from modern nutritional psychiatry and classical Ayurvedic dietary principles. Relevant literature was reviewed from classical Ayurvedic texts, including Charaka Samhita and Sushruta Samhita, together with peer-reviewed articles retrieved from PubMed, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect. Current evidence indicates that increased consumption of nutrient-poor, ultra-processed foods is associated with a higher prevalence of anxiety, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, perinatal depression, postpartum mood disorders, and menopausal psychological disturbances. Conversely, diets rich in omega-3 fatty acids, B-complex vitamins, vitamin D, magnesium, zinc, probiotics, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and antioxidant-rich herbs support neurotransmitter function, reduce neuroinflammation, improve gut microbial balance, and enhance emotional resilience. Ayurvedic concepts of Ahara, individualized dietary planning based on Prakriti and Agni, and life stage-specific nutritional recommendations further complement these findings by promoting holistic well-being. Integrating Ayurvedic dietary wisdom with modern nutritional science offers a safe, economical, and non-pharmacological strategy for optimizing women's mental health and improving quality of life across reproductive life stages.

Keywords: Women’s Mental Health, Nutritional Psychiatry, Ayurveda, Ahara, Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis, Psychoneuroimmunology.