One of the essential characteristics of the world’s five Blue Zones, the regions with the highest concentrations of centenarians, is a healthy diet. the longevity of residents in Ikaria, Greece, for example, have been specifically traced to eating legumes, wild vegetables, fruits, and small amounts of fish. This diet, also known as the Mediterranean diet, has long been linked to healthy hearts Y bones. But a new to study shows that it can also help mental health, turning the blues into Blue Zone material.
For the study, researchers assigned 72 men between the ages of 18 and 25 with moderate to severe depression to either maintain their diet or switch to a Mediterranean diet. The diet, which originated in Greece and Spain, replaced large amounts of eggs, chicken, red meat, and fast foods with vegetables, legumes, fish, olive oil, and raw nuts.
After 12 weeks, symptoms of depression decreased in all men following the Mediterranean diet, with 36% of the group reporting low or minimal depression at the end of the study. By comparison, none of the participants in the control group reported low or minimal depression after the 12-week study period.
Although depression is relatively common in young men, they are demographic group least likely to seek help. Psychotherapy can be expensive, and young people tend to be more hesitant to start antidepressant medications: In 2018, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned against the use of antidepressants among young people due to its increased risk of suicide as a side effect. And men in general are less likely to seek help for depression because vulnerability is seen as the antithesis of masculinity.
Diet is an actionable thing that people with depression can do while considering or seeking other treatments, says the study’s author. Jessica Bayesa Ph.D. candidate at the Sydney University of Technology in Australia.
“Psychotherapy and antidepressants help a lot of people, so we’re not suggesting that people stop taking their medications or anything like that,” says Bayes. “But many young people I talked to for this study said that even through their university they were on a waiting list for three months to have their first date.”
The Mediterranean diet has previously been shown to reduce symptoms of depression in middle aged men in a pair of studies, but those trials were mostly made up of women. But while the current study focused on young men, there’s “no reason why older men can’t reap the benefits as well,” says Bayes.
The Mediterranean diet is believed to reduce depression because it includes many anti-inflammatory foods and depression causes bidirectionally and is caused by inflammation of the immune system. Diet also affects the gut microbiome, which is responsible for producing more of 90% of the body’s serotonin. Although the relationship is not yet fully understood, higher levels of certain gut bacteria such as morganella have been linked to a increased risk of depression and can cause disease.
In general, diets don’t tend to stick around forever, especially since men may face more stigma against “healthy eating” than women, the authors wrote. That’s why it might be useful as a short-term strategy before men are able to pursue other treatment options.
On the other hand, some men feel that their diet is important in improving their depression and are eager to try modifying their diet for mental health benefits, according to a recent study.
In general, Western diets full of processed foods and refined sugars have been linked to an increased risk of depression, Whereas ways of eating similar to the Mediterranean diet rich in vegetables and fish, such as japanese diethave been associated with a reduced risk of depression.
Still, these diets aren’t meant to replace other treatments for depression, says Bayes. During the trial, 45% of the men were seeing a psychologist and 25% were taking antidepressant medication. Most of the participants exercised at least once or twice a week, which has also been shown to improve mental health symptoms.
“The field of nutritional psychiatry is a very new and exciting field that shows how different foods and dietary patterns can affect our mental health,” says Bayes. “Eating is something we do every day, so it seems like a really achievable thing that people can do to support their mental health.”
If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or text HOME to Crisis Text Line at 741741. You can also contact Trans Lifeline at 1-877-565-8860Trevor’s lifeline on 1-866-488-7386or your local suicide crisis center.
