Mediterranean diet reduces risk of depression

Researchers based at the Universities of Las Palmas and Navarra, Spain, studied 10,094 healthy adults during 1999 to 2005. All the subjects were depression-free when the trials began.

For the purpose of the study, the subjects filled out questionnaires. Also, their adherence to a Mediterranean diet was monitored by looking at nine components such as low intake of meat, moderate intake of alcohol and dairy products and high intake of fruits, nuts, olive oil, cereals, vegetables and fish.

After a follow up period of four-and-half years, the researchers found 480 new cases of depression, 156 in men and 324 in women.

Traditional diet linked to lower incidence of depression
The findings suggested that adults who most followed the diet showed a greater than 30 percent risk of depression compared with those who ignored the dietary rules.

It was also found that the overall dietary pattern "may exert a fair degree of protection against depression" than the effect of single components.

Study’s co-author Dr. Miguel A. Martinez-Gonzalez, chairperson of preventive medicine at the University of Navarra, Spain, said, "Thirty per cent is a large reduction in the risk and this could be very important considering the large burden of disease represented by depression.

"We know how important the Mediterranean diet is in reducing cardiovascular risk factors and the same inflammatory proteins are also raised in patients with depression," Martinez-Gonzalez added.

Mediterranean diet promises a multitude of benefits
Experts say that Mediterranean diet is known to keep the arteries healthy, fight inflammation and repair cell damage in the body.

Previous studies also suggest that strict adherence to Mediterranean diet could help protect against diseases like Alzheimer’s, heart problems, Type 2 diabetes, cancer, asthma, and respiratory allergies in children etc.

Martinez-Gonzalez explained that the diet is associated with improving the function of the endothelium--the delicate inner lining of blood vessels.

Endothelium is said to be involved in the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a molecule that is responsible for the growth and function of nerve cells.

"Dysfunction of BDNF is thought to be responsible for some depression cases," Martinez-Gonzalez said.

Don’t try Mediterranean diet to treat depression
The researchers maintain that intake of Mediterranean diet helps lower the risk of depression. However, they don’t recommend that people diagnosed with the mental disorder should try to treat it by adopting Mediterranean diet.

"The Mediterranean diet might be ideal for the prevention of depression, but not for its treatment," Martinez-Gonzalez said. "For those patients who already have depression, the best thing they can do is to seek the proper medical treatment by a psychiatrist."

The findings of the study are published in the Archives of General Psychiatry.