Depression is a widespread mental health problem that affects about 300 million people worldwide every year. It is an important risk factor for suicide and the biggest cause of death among young people. The 12 week randomized controlled trial, completed by experts from the University of science and technology of Sydney, was recently published in the peer-reviewed American Journal of clinical nutrition.
According to lead researcher Jessica Bayes, a doctoral student at the school of health of the University of science and technology of Sydney, the study is the first randomized clinical trial to examine the effect of the Mediterranean diet on depressive symptoms in young men (18-25 years old). They were surprised that these young people were willing to accept a new diet. Those assigned to the Mediterranean diet can greatly change their original eating habits in a short time under the guidance of nutritionists.
This suggests that doctors and psychologists should consider introducing depressed young men to nutritionists or nutritionists as an important part of the treatment of clinical depression. The study contributes to the emerging topic of nutritional psychiatry, which aims to study the effects of specific nutrients, food and dietary patterns on mental health. The study's diet was rich in colorful vegetables, beans and whole grains, as well as oily fish, olive oil and unprocessed salt free nuts.
The main focus is to improve the quality of the diet through fresh whole foods, while reducing the intake of fast food, sugar and processed red meat. Scientifically, we believe that food can affect mood for many reasons. For example, serotonin is a chemical that helps us feel happy. About 90% of serotonin is produced in the intestine by intestinal microorganisms. There is new evidence that these microorganisms can communicate with the brain through the vagus nerve, the so-called intestinal brain axis.
In order to have beneficial microorganisms, we need to feed them fiber, which is found in beans, fruits and vegetables.