The Shrinking Brain and the Global Mental Health Crisis

Why poor nutrition is at the root of the global mental health crisis

Written by leading scientists with established expertise in both nutrition and human brain evolution, this remarkable book explains very clearly:

- Why poor nutrition is at the root of the global mental health crisis (which the first author predicted, and warned about, more than 50 years ago), and

- Why restoring adequate intakes of the critical brain nutrients provided by fish and seafood to human diets is the only viable way to reverse the current decline in brain health worldwide. 

The arguments presented are compelling - and backed by a huge body of converging evidence from different sources. 

Crucially, the authors also offer a workable solution to the major and inter-related challenges currently facing humanity - including:

• human population growth in relation to the limited availability of food, fresh water, land and other resources
• pollution and other environmental damage caused by human activities, including their effects on climate change
• increasing rates of mental ill-health and disability worldwide, and the decline in general intelligence evident since the mid-20th century

As they make clear, reversing the current decline in brain health is imperative if we are to succeed in meeting the other challenges. And this means recognising the fundamental importance of nutrition for mental, as well as physical, health and wellbeing; and improving maternal nutrition in particular - as the mother's health and nutritional status has a lifelong impact on her child's development and future potential before the child is even born.   

The solution that they spell out lies in responsible 'farming' of the oceans, so that much more of our food can be produced from marine sources, naturally rich in the key brain nutrients that enabled the evolution of the human brain in the first place. 

Importantly, they also provide real-world examples which show that this can be done both effectively and sustainably - such as pioneering projects in Japan, Oman and other places where Professor Crawford's extensive knowledge and advice have already been put into practice, with remarkably rapid and successful results.

These projects show that in addition to yielding foods with the critical nutrients for supporting brain (and body) health, this approach also has additional economic, social and environmental benefits - including a significant reduction in carbon emissions (because the kelp and seagrasses involved in restoring healthy marine ecosystems 'lock up' huge amounts of carbon, while also supporting the regeneration of abundant and sustainable supplies of fish and seafood).

But as they emphasise, time really is now running out - and the need for action NOW could not be more urgent.

This is a truly inspiring book - and it needs to be read by anyone and everyone who wants to see a better future for today's adults and children, and those yet to be born.

Since 1950 there has been a steady increase in mental ill-health across the population. At the same time, there has been a similar steady decline in IQ. There is strong evidence of 'dumbing down' right across society. If this is allowed to continue it will be the greatest threat to the sustainability of the human race, even greater than the more visible threat of climate change.

The Global Mental Health Crisis is a direct result of the fact that, over time, the actual size of our brains is getting smaller. This is a historical fact but is entirely reversible with better brain nutrition. This has now reached crisis proportions.

In 2023, The European Brain Council recognised that "Brain Health conditions have become a global health emergency". Back in 1972, Graham Rose wrote in the Sunday Times "Unless action is taken to care for the nutrition of the brain 'We will become a race of morons!'

Professor Crawford on the impact of nutrition on brain health

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