The Neuroscience of Seasonal Eating...

Inspired by the Soil and Microbiome health summit I attended last week I thought I would write a little bit around the powers of nature and eating with the seasons for us here in the UK.

Have you ever noticed how our bodies naturally craves different foods at different times of year? Warm soups and root vegetables in winter, salads and berries in summer. It’s not random. It’s biology.

As someone who works in the world of nutrition and sports therapy, I see this often... When people eat with the seasons, their energy, sleep, and mood naturally improve. And now, neuroscience is helping us understand why. Our brains, hormones, and nervous systems are wired to work in sync with the Earth’s rhythms and the foods that grow around us.

Let's start with Autumn, seeing as though we are in this season right now.

Autumn is for grounding, repair, and immune Balance

Our seasonal best here in the UK are apples, pears, carrots, beetroot, parsnips, leeks, mushrooms, cabbage and squash.

As daylight shortens, our circadian rhythm shifts. Melatonin rises earlier, cortisol adjusts, and the brain prepares for rest and repair. Autumn’s foods help stabilise this neurological transition. A few examples...

• Root vegetables like carrots and beetroot offer slow-release carbohydrates that help balance serotonin and mood.

• Mushrooms supply vitamin D precursors and ergothioneine, a rare antioxidant that protects neural tissue. Mushrooms need to see the sunlight to syntethis Vit D. Much like how we do through our skin during the summer months.

• Apples and pears contain quercetin and fibre to support the gut microbiome directly influencing emotional balance through the vagus nerve.

Autumn’s earthy, grounding foods can help the brain stabilise energy and mood, acting as a nutritional buffer against stress and fatigue. Something most of us struggle with in the modern day.

Moving into winter we seek comfort, calm, and serotonin support. SAD (seasonal affective disorder) is on the rise in the UK. If you or anyone you know suffers with this, hopefully including these seasonal fruits and veggies may help a little.

Our UK seasonal best here includes kale, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, leeks, swedes, turnips, oats, lentils, stored apples.

Winter’s darker days can lower serotonin and motivation (want to be cosied up with a blanket by 6pm? you are not alone!) Comfort foods in this season aren’t indulgence they’re neuroscience.

• Oats and root vegetables provide steady glucose for consistent brain energy.

• Kale and Brussels sprouts deliver vitamin C and K, vital for cognitive and immune function.

• Leeks and onions contain inulin, a prebiotic fibre that feeds gut bacteria tied to reduced anxiety and inflammation.

• Lentils and pulses add plant protein and iron, both key for neurotransmitter production and concentration.

Spring. This is my personal favourite of the 4 seasons. Here we look for awakening and dopamine renewal.

Our UK seasonal best are asparagus, spinach, kale, spring onions, rhubarb & new potatoes.

Spring is a time of reactivation, both in nature and in our nervous system. As daylight increases, our brains release more dopamine, the neurotransmitter linked to motivation and drive. Nature mirrors this with foods that literally help our brains shift out of “winter mode.”

• Leafy greens like spinach and kale are high in folate, a nutrient that supports dopamine and serotonin synthesis.

• Asparagus and spring onions contain prebiotic fibres that feed gut bacteria. Essential for the gut-brain axis, which influences mood, focus, and immunity.

• Rhubarb’s polyphenols support liver detoxification, helping you feel lighter and more energised.

In neuroscience terms, spring foods help reset our neurochemistry fuelling clarity, optimism, and the drive to move more.

Lastly let's take a look at summer. The season of long days, serotonin, sunshine, and hydration.

Say hello to UK grown berries, tomatoes, cucumbers, courgettes, peas, salad leaves.

With longer days and more light, serotonin our “feel-good” neurotransmitter, naturally rises. But higher activity levels and UV exposure also increase oxidative stress and summer’s colourful foods are the perfect antidote.

• Berries are packed with anthocyanin. Antioxidants shown to improve memory and protect neuron's.

• Tomatoes provide lycopene, which helps protect brain and heart tissue.

• Cucumbers and courgettes rehydrate and replenish electrolytes, reducing fatigue.

• Peas and leafy salads offer magnesium, vital for muscle function and calming the nervous system.

Bright, hydrating foods support your brain’s serotonin-driven summer rhythm, energy, movement, and mental sharpness.

Have you ever wondered why certain foods instinctively appeal to us? Neuroscience suggests our brain is reading signals. The insula (part of our brain’s interoceptive network) helps us to sense internal balance. The orbitofrontal cortex links taste, smell, and texture to reward and emotional satisfaction. Together, they act as our internal “nutrition radar.” Tap in to this superpower. When we eat foods grown locally and in season, we’re naturally reactivating this system. Feeding both body and intuition.

Your Brain’s Seasonal Rhythm

Our brains follow not just a circadian rhythm (daily), but a circannual rhythm. An annual biological cycle influenced by light and temperature. The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in the hypothalamus coordinates these rhythms, regulating hormones, appetite, sleep, and even emotional tone. Eating with the seasons helps keep this rhythm in sync.

When these rhythms align, clients often report improved sleep, mood, and focus. Not through supplements, but through the timing of their food.

The science is finally catching up with what our ancestors always knew. Eating with the seasons supports not only the body but the brain too.

Simple Steps to Eat Seasonally in the UK

1. Buy local produce if you are able to. Farmers’ markets and veg boxes reflect what’s truly in season.

2. Watch colour and freshness. Nature uses colour to signal nutrient density. Our brain knows what to do with that information.

3. Eat with the light. Lighter meals for longer days, hearty dishes for darker ones.

4. Feed our microbiome. Include fermented seasonal foods like sauerkraut or kefir for gut-brain support.

5. Trust our cravings. They’re often our nervous system’s way of asking for balance, hydration, warmth, or serotonin support.

The UK’s seasonal foods aren’t just good for the planet. They’re perfectly timed for our biology. Neuroscience shows that our brains, hormones, and gut microbes all respond to seasonal rhythms. By aligning our plates with what nature has on offer, we are not following a trend, we our feeding your nervous system exactly what it’s asking for one season at a time.

Lucy B x

(The research)

Frontiers in Nutrition (2022): Seasonal diets improve gut microbiome diversity and reduce inflammation.

Nature Neuroscience (2021): Nutrition interacts with light cycles to regulate serotonin and dopamine pathways.

Journal of Affective Disorders (2020): Seasonal dietary variation helps buffer against low mood in winter months.