Hard times may teach you lessons but they don’t build resilience if you’re running on junk food.
That’s the takeaway from a new study published in Health Science Reports, which examined how food insecurity, diet quality and lifestyle habits affect stress resilience and mental well-being. Researchers at Binghamton University surveyed over 1,000 people — most of them under 30 — to find out how adversity and nutrition intersect.
Their conclusion? Struggling without access to nourishing food doesn’t make you tougher. In fact, poor diet quality was linked with increased mental distress and reduced resilience.
“Resilience builds off hardship, but it looks like hardship with low quality of diet cannot build resilience,” said lead author Lina Begdache, PhD. “We are probably the first to report that.”
The researchers also found that food insecurity did not significantly affect someone’s stress mindset — that is, whether they believe stress can be positive or manageable. That mindset, it turns out, is shaped more by personality than pantry stock. But poor diet still plays a critical role in overall emotional health.
There was one bright spot: exercise. Participants who reported regular physical activity were more likely to have a resilient mindset and better mental well-being.
“Exercise was associated with improvements in neurobehaviors, including your stress mindset,” Begdache said. “It improved resilience, too.”
The findings have particular relevance post-pandemic, as temporary food assistance programs wind down. Without high-quality diets, especially among young adults, resilience and mental health may suffer.
Begdache said adopting healthier eating patterns, like the Mediterranean diet, could help rebuild both brain health and psychological strength.
Funding for this research was provided by the Binghamton University Road Map Initiative and the Division of Research.