Could Diet Alter Your Personality?
Could diet alter your personality? Your food may literally change everything about you. There is a tragic story called “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” that seems to be very prevalent to this time. Dr. Jekyll is the experiment and Mr. Hyde is the result or the consequence of that experiment. The moral of the story is all people have both good and evil within them, and that our choices determine who we are.
The good and evil could be altered parts of your personalities, somewhat engrained with tendencies that can be altered, at least looking at the aspects of experimentation. These alterations are composites of your choices. Personality is defined as the qualities that form a person’s character; sets of predictable behaviors or traits by which others recognize you as you really are. Even as genetics plays the main role, suggesting 30-40% heritability, there are other variables shaping all of us that exist outside of your DNA. Upbringing, stress, and life experiences play a more significant role than your genes. There are some dramatically and tragic DNA alterations to the mind, body that present a Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde experience to change your personality. In my own case, a given example, for me, is one smell of gasolineand I uncontrollably become a Mr. Hyde. Alcohol and different drugs can also play the same trauma as well. You all know what sugar does to children, wires them up to no return.
The one that is showing profound effect that influences your personality is diet. What goes into your body does have its effect on your gut, brain function, moods, hormones, stress responses, immune health, as well as regulating inflammation. For example, an imbalanced microbiome within your gut may increase the likelihood of mood disorders, uncontrollable anger or rage, impulsivity, or hopelessness and apathy. Addictive behavior, cravings and withdrawals can become prevalent on the ultra-processed diet. Food preservatives, chemicals, especially MSG, and toxins in these types of foods can alter the wiring of all the body’s functioning systems. These all do alter your personality. The personality disorder is the end result of all the body trying to defend itself against the ‘experiment’ raging within.
You do have more control over who you are and who you become—than you may have thought. You do need to listen and pay attention to what your body is trying to say to you through the symptoms you are experiencing. So, the next time you sit down to your meal, consider that you are not just feeding your body, but you are also shaping your mind. The choices are yours to bear…make the wise choices or suffer the grave consequences that not only affect you but also others around you by your reactive behaviors.