Is Your Diet Leading To Depression? Study Reveals

A new study has linked depression to everyday diet. It was discovered that healthy diet could reduce the symptoms of depression. On the other hand, unhealthy diet could make one suffer from this said disorder.

The study involved 67 patients with moderate to severe depression. It was a 12-week period study at Deakin University in Victoria, Australia. The participants were divided into a control group, in which the patients received social support rather than having healthy eating habits. Meanwhile, the other group was asked to eat a diet high in fruits, vegetables and lean meats.

The diet was more of a modified Mediterranean diet, which was based on the diet guidelines from both the Australian and Greek governments. The results showed that more than 30 percent of the patients had reduced their depression. On the other hand, only 8 percent of the control group had experienced the same improvement, according to Fox News.

Dr. Drew Ramsey, an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Columbia University, described the results as remarkable. He said that people who eat a lot of fast food have about a 60 percent to 80 percent increased risk of developing depression. On the other hand, those who eat a Mediterranean diet have a reduced risk of 40 percent to 50 percent. This has just the same rate with dementia and diet.

The researchers and some health experts encourage the people to have a modified Mediterranean diet. This diet is rich in fruits, whole-grain cereals, vegetables, oily fish, raw and unsalted nuts and seeds, legumes and extra virgin olive oil. This also includes lean meats and moderate amounts of reduced-fat natural dairy products.

The researchers also stated that the recommendation was based on epidemiologic evidence from nutritional psychiatry, indicating that women eating less or more than the recommended intake of red meat were more likely to have a clinical depressive and/or anxiety disorders compared to those eating the recommended amount. In addition, red meat is a great source of zinc, iron and vitamin B12 that have a significant role in preventing common mental disorders, according to U.S. News.