Depression could be eased by shifting to a healthier diet.
Young men who started eating a Mediterranean diet—with its emphasis on vegetables, oily fish and olive oil—saw their depression lift during a three-month trial.
Seeing a nutritionist could become an important part of treating depression, say researchers at the University of Technology in Sydney, Australia.
They assessed the impact of a change of diet on a group of men, aged between 18 and 25, who had been diagnosed with clinical depression. Most had been eating a diet of fast and sugary foods.
The researchers think the healthier diet improved the men’s gut microbiome, which sends messages to the brain. It’s also where serotonin, the ‘feel good’ chemical, is created.
“To have beneficial microbes, we need to feed them fibre, which is found in legumes, fruits and vegetables,” said researcher Jessica Bayes.
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2022; doi: 10.1093/ajcn/nqac106
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