Can multivitamins improve depression, anxiety and mental health with Professor Julia Rucklidge

Do multivitamins actually work? Coming into this podcast, my opinion was that they were pretty pointless, whether that’s for general wellbeing, cardiovascular health, sleep or mental health.

But this conversation genuinely made me rethink things. We talk about why some people with conditions like ADHD, depression or anxiety might benefit from broad-spectrum nutrients, why others won’t, and how modern diets and ultra-processed foods may be affecting our resilience. This is a grounded, honest look at what the research really says and when nutrients might matter.

Professor Julia Rucklidge is a clinical psychologist and Director of the Mental Health and Nutrition Research Lab at the University of Canterbury. She’s one of the world’s leading experts in nutritional psychiatry, with over 160 peer-reviewed papers and a TEDx talk watched by more than five million people.

We cover:
00:00 – Why are mental health problems rising so fast?
01:27 – Are ultra-processed foods linked to anxiety and depression?
03:14 – What do vitamins and minerals actually do for the brain?
06:51 – Do antidepressants really work for everyone?
14:47 – Can vitamins help bipolar or psychosis?
20:47 – Should medication really be the first step for low mood?
24:51 – How strong is the placebo effect in mental health?
26:54 – Can micronutrients help stressed teenagers?
35:58 – What’s the evidence for multinutrients and mood?
40:35 – What’s the difference between multivitamins and ‘multi-nutrients’?
46:59 – How do nutrients help energy and brain function?
52:19 – Are our foods becoming less nutritious?
54:29 – Are RDAs too low for mental well-being?
57:43 – Are high-dose vitamins safe?
1:01:13 – Do vitamins affect medications?
1:03:37 – Why don’t blood tests show nutrient issues?
1:11:29 – Who might benefit most from more nutrients?
1:29:39 – Do some people have higher nutrient needs genetically?
1:33:21 – Are multi-nutrients safe to take long term?


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