The Mediterranean diet link has been linked to a reduction in depression .
Eating a Mediterranean style diet with lots of fuit, vegetables, legumes, such as, lentils and beans, nuts, olive oil, fish, and a low intake of dairy products, can combat depression, so a recent study suggests. The diet also usually contains some red wine in moderation.
For many decades the Mediterranean-style diet has long been associated with a reduced risk of heart disease and circulation problems.
Researchers are not certain of the reason the diet relates to health benefits. However, the reasons suggested are the low levels of saturated fats the diet contains, that is, the kind found in cheese, butter and red meat), and higher levels of monounsaturated fatty acids, as in olive oil, and the presence of certain polyunsaturated fatty acids found in fish.
What we do know is that Mediterranean countries have reduced rates of depression and suicide than northern Europe.
The researchers interviewed 10,000 Spanish graduates, who completed a food questionnaire at the beginning of the study and this was then followed up regularly.
The study’s findings are that individuals whose diets are closer to the Mediterranean diet are less likely to be diagnosed with depression in the four and a half years when they were tracked. They had approximately a third of the risk of those who ate a diet least like the Mediterranean diet.
The researchers say that how much fruit, nuts, and legumes (such as lentils and beans), as well as the types of fats or oils they ate, are strongly related to a lower risk of depression. The fatty acids in olive oil could be a factor for lower rates of depression, although the conclusion is that the overall effect of the diet is likely to be more important than singling out individual foods.
Regular exercise is also likely to protect against depression. The study highlighted that those individuals who maintained a diet most like the Mediterranean diet are also more likely to exercise.
What is evident is that the Mediterranean-style diet is good for your heart and your state of mind.