That’s according to an expert at Australia’s Deakin University Center for Food and Mood, who specializes in researching the role of diet and nutrition for mental health.
“The role that food and nutrition play in regards to mental health is a fairly new field of research, but it is known that there is a strong association between the quality of the diet and the types of foods consumed and the positive effects or negative of these in mental health. ,”Dr. Wolfgang Marx, a senior researcher at the Center for Food and Mood, said FoodNavigator-Asiaafter presenting the track at the recent Fi Asia Bangkok event in Thailand.
“We know that diets like the Mediterranean diet, which focuses on whole foods but limits things like red meat and sugary items, as well as diets that focus on anti-inflammatory benefits, are about 30% effective in reducing the risk of developing depression or other such symptoms.
“We also conducted a trial to look at this in a more scientific way, the SMILES trial, which was conducted in 67 adults over a 12-week study that ultimately showed that improved diet can be an effective treatment strategy for depressive illnesses.
“Participants ate a healthier diet that improved diet quality in the form of increased consumption of key food groups (eg, whole grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes, low-fat dairy, meats and shellfish, etc.; and the reduction of foods such as sweets, fried foods, processed meats, sugary drinks, etc.
“The goal was to give them high levels of bioactives that would promote good health in the body, and the dietary intervention saw a significant reduction in symptoms in participants who already had the disorder, with 32% receiving dietary support. group improving to meet remission criteria.”
Dr. Marx and his team believe that this is a reason for dietary interventions to be included as part of treatment plans for existing mental health patients, and that they could also be beneficial for members of the general public with relevant risks.
“There are reasons here for international and national guidelines to consider dietary interventions more seriously as a central part of achieving and preserving mental health, in combination with an overall healthier lifestyle.”said.
“We have already seen that there are several components at the ingredient level that may be beneficial such as the omega-3 found in fish such as salmon for major depressive disorder, so it is [not such a huge leap] to see them from a dietary point of view”.
More studies are needed
That said, he also emphasized that there is currently a great need for more study in this area from a dietary and nutraceutical perspective, as much previous research has focused on depressive disorders.
“There are many different food ingredients and nutraceuticals that may be indicated in mental illness, most of which are generally well tolerated, such as omega-3s, ginkgo, or St. John’s wort.”said.
“What is needed now are more studies looking at diets and nutraceuticals that might benefit mental illnesses other than depression, as there are numerous interventions that could potentially be found in this space.”
He also noted that much of the research currently has been done on stand-alone ingredients, but their combined effects have rarely been studied.
“We see things like fish oil being deeply studied for anti-inflammatory benefits or omega-3 content and how this can help people deal with depression, but what about combining anti-inflammatory fish oil with something like a prebiotic? Would the results be improved? Even more?,”said Dr. Marx.
“These are things we need to find out so that both patients and general consumers can get the best benefits from their daily diets.”
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