May 11, 2022 — Young men with a poor diet reported a decrease in depression symptoms when they switched to the Mediterranean diet compared with young men who underwent friendship therapy, a new study shows.
Researchers at the University of Technology Sydney observed 72 men between the ages of 18 and 25 for 12 weeks, according to the study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Some put themselves on the Mediterranean diet, which generally involves eating lots of fruits and vegetables, beans and nuts, healthy grains, fish, olive oil, small amounts of meat and dairy, and red wine.
The control group received friendship therapy, in which they were provided with social support. Assessments were taken at the beginning of the study and after six and 12 weeks.
Young men on the Mediterranean diet scored “significantly higher” on the Beck Depression Inventory Scale and on a measure of quality of life, the study says.
The finding suggests that doctors and psychologists should consider referring depressed youth to a nutritionist or dietician, said Jessica Bayes, lead researcher and doctoral candidate in the UTS School of Health, a school. Press release.
Bayes said the Mediterranean group’s goal was to eat more fresh food and less fast food, sugar and processed meats.
“There are many reasons why we scientifically think that food affects mood. For example, about 90 percent of serotonin, a chemical that helps us feel happy, is produced in our intestines by our gut microbes. There is emerging evidence that these microbes can communicate with the brain through the vagus nerve, in what is called the gut-brain axis,” he said.
“In order to have beneficial microbes, we need to feed them fiber, which is found in legumes, fruits and vegetables.”
He said nearly all of the participants stayed in the program and planned to continue when the study ended, he said.
The Mediterranean diet is known to have many benefits, including reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, and other conditions.
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