Mediterranean Diet May Help Ward Off Depression
October 8th, 2009
There have been many positive effects reported by those who maintain strict Mediterranean diets, from lowered cholesterol and related heart problems and risks to greater longevity and beyond. Recently, however, a study has suggested that this specific type of diet –rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts, and fish–, may have a major impact on mental health, as well.
The study examined participants from Spain and obtained self-reported information on diet, ranking each participant’s adherence to the ideal Mediterranean meal plan. Those participants who exhibited a strong link with this ideal were thirty percent less likely to develop depression in a follow-up session than those who ate differently. While the mental health industry has long been aware of the potential of diet to influence mood and behavior, this study may make the case for better eating even stronger.
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Comments
I knew certain dry fruits help in memory-boosting but keep away from depression is new… It is very encouraging to know that one’s diet can help him/her ward off depression.
Vegetables and fruits should be used as much as possible and the same is true for dry fruits. It offered better physical health and now, with the finding of this study that it keeps a person away from depression, its use should be encouraged even more…
Any natural foods, uncooked and low in fat and other citrus fruits are extremely good for health and the finding should encourage more people to take up this kind of a diet.
My mother encouraged us to eat fish as kids by telling us it was brain food and would make you smart. How much truth there is in her theory I don’t know. It’s good to discover there’s additional value to including fish in your diet more.
There are so many benefits to following this type of diet and lifestyle that it is great that it is picking up steam worldwide. We all know we eat too many refined and processed foods, and this just confirms the point that the fresher our foods are the better for us they have to be. We have to get out of the mentality that whatever is the quickest thing to grab is going to be the easiest because that is not the case. It is so much more cost effective to eat a healthy diet like the Mediterranean diet than it is to eat the now classically bad American staples, not only now but in the long run when it comes to our health further down the road. The Europeans have got it right!
This is a very encouraging find! :) It is great to know that just following a not-so-strict diet can actually help us stay away from depression, a plague that haunts all of us at some point of time or the other.
We rely increasingly on processed and fast food, most of it fried or microwaved, for the sake of speed and there’s little need for that. A little planning and preparation time for family meals worked into your weekend can make the rest of the week much easier. Ounce for ounce the cost of a prepackaged meal’s contents far exceeds making it fresh. Work out what that tablespoon of mashed potato in the plastic tray costs compared to a 10lb bag for less than $3 at the store.
Never thought following a particular type of diet could save a person from depression. But now that is has been found out, people must be educated about it, and I also think these ingredients can be used in making anti-depression medicines.
Several years ago I was doing some research into losing weight because goodness knows that like so mnay others this is something that I needed to do. When I discovered the Mediterranean diet I found that this was the perfect plan for me! Not only did I love all of the different types of food that I was encouraged to eat, this made losing weight a brand new type of experience for me. I lost weight and actually enjoyed what I was doing. Within a matter of weeks I looked better, felt better, and had an overall more positive outlook on life. I will encourage anyone who has struggled in the past with their weight to try this plan because I know that is it worked for me then it can work for anyone!
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