Fortress yourself from depression with a healthy diet

A new study suggests that switching to a healthy diet in adults reduces their suffering from depressive symptoms.

In a randomized controlled trial in Australia, symptoms of depression in men and women between the ages of 17 and 35 decreased three weeks after they switched to a healthy diet. Those who continued to eat healthy foods for three months continued to feel better, researchers reported in the journal "One".

"This matters to everyone, is more cost-effective than other treatments, and is one aspect of treatment that individuals themselves can control," said Heather Francis, who led the research team from Macquarie University in Sydney. "This finding raises the possibility that a change in diet may be a remedy to relieve symptoms of depression."

The study of Francis and her colleagues included 76 people who scored high on two measures of depression and anxiety, indicating that they had moderate or severe symptoms of depression, and scored high in a questionnaire on the consumption of foods rich in fat and sugar.

The participants were divided into two groups for three weeks, the first changed their diets, the second continued to eat the food they used to, and the first group received instructions from a 13-minute videotaped dietitian, which means they could watch it more than once. If necessary.

Guidelines include increasing the intake of vegetables to five servings a day, fruit to two or three servings a day, whole grains to three servings a day, lean proteins to three servings a day, unsweetened dairy products three servings a day, and fish to three servings a week.

Nuts
The program also recommended daily consumption of three tablespoons of nuts and seeds, two tablespoons of olive oil, and one teaspoon of turmeric and cinnamon. Participants were also advised to reduce carbohydrates, sugars, fatty or processed meats and soft drinks.

Three weeks later, the average depression score dropped to normal in the diet-changing group, while it remained high or severe in the usual diet group. The first group continued to improve even after three months.

"Depression is a whole-body disorder, not just a brain disorder. Depression is associated with a chronic inflammatory response, but what is the source of this inflammation? Previous research has shown that poor diet increases inflammation of the body's organs and is a contributing factor to depression," Francis said.