Foods that Boost Your Mood

By Cynthia Ross Cravit

People who follow a traditional Mediterranean diet are 30 per cent less likely to be depressed, a study finds. People who follow a traditional Mediterranean diet are 30 per cent less likely to be depressed, a study finds. Research has shown that eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, olive oil and fish can help to reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes and even Alzheimer’s disease. And now a new study indicates that it may also help to prevent depression. The Mediterranean diet has long been thought to explain the long life expectancy of southern Europeans. And because Mediterranean countries also have lower rates of depression and suicide than many other countries, researchers were curious about whether their diet might also affect mental health.

Article was the courtesy of 50Plus.

Findings

The results? Those who ate ‘Mediterranean-style’ were about 30 percent less likely to be diagnosed with depression. Researchers say that the fatty acids in olive oil may play a role in lowering the rates of depression. “However, the role of the overall dietary pattern may be more important than the effect of single components,” writes lead study author Almudena Sánchez-Villegas of University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

“It is plausible that the synergistic combination of a sufficient provision of omega-three fatty acids together with other natural unsaturated fatty acids and antioxidants from olive oil and nuts, flavonoids and other phytochemicals from fruit and other plant foods and large amounts of natural folates and other B vitamins in the overall Mediterranean dietary pattern may exert a fair degree of protection against depression.” More studies are needed to show a direct cause and effect from eating a Mediterranean-style diet and lowering depression, researchers say.

Make Your Diet More Mediterranean

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So what is the Mediterranean diet exactly? Over a dozen countries border the Mediterranean Sea, making it difficult to designate one official ‘Mediterranean diet’. Diets vary between countries and regions and often reflect differences in culture, ethnic background, religion, economy and agricultural production. But the common Mediterranean-inspired menu generally adheres to these principles:

– A high consumption of fruits, vegetables, bread and other cereals, potatoes, beans, nuts and seeds.

– Olive oil is used as an important source of monounsaturated fat.

– Dairy products, eggs and poultry are consumed in low to moderate amounts.

– Little red meat is eaten. – Herbs and spices are used to flavor foods, which either replaces or reduces salt. – Red wine is consumed in moderate amounts.