A better diet helps beat depression in young men

Date:
May 9, 2022
Source:
University of Technology Sydney
Summary:
Young men with a poor diet saw a significant improvement in their
symptoms of depression when they switched to a healthy Mediterranean
diet, a new study shows.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Young men with a poor diet saw a significant improvement in their symptoms
of depression when they switched to a healthy Mediterranean diet, a new
study shows.


========================================================================== Depression is a common mental health condition that affects approximately
1 million Australians each year. It is a significant risk factor for
suicide, the leading cause of death in young adults.

The 12-week randomised control trial, conducted by researchers from
the University of Technology Sydney, was recently published in the peer-reviewed American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Lead researcher Jessica Bayes, a PhD candidate in the UTS Faculty of
Health, said the study was the first randomised clinical trial to assess
the impact of a Mediterranean diet on the symptoms of depression in
young men (aged 18-25).

"We were surprised by how willing the young men were to take on a new
diet," Bayes said. "Those assigned to the Mediterranean diet were able
to significantly change their original diets, under the guidance of
a nutritionist, over a short time frame." "It suggests that medical
doctors and psychologists should consider referring depressed young men
to a nutritionist or dietitian as an important component of treating
clinical depression," she said.

The study contributes to the emerging field of nutritional psychiatry,
which aims to explore the effect that specific nutrients, foods and
dietary patterns can have on mental health. The diet used in the study
was rich in colourful vegetables, legumes and wholegrains, oily fish,
olive oil and raw, unsalted nuts.

"The primary focus was on increasing diet quality with fresh wholefoods
while reducing the intake of 'fast' foods, sugar and processed red meat,"
Bayes said.

"There are lots of reasons why scientifically we think food affects
mood. For example, around 90 per cent of serotonin, a chemical that
helps us feel happy, is made in our gut by our gut microbes. There is
emerging evidence that these microbes can communicate to the brain via
the vagus nerve, in what is called the gut-brain axis.

"To have beneficial microbes, we need to feed them fibre, which is found
in legumes, fruits and vegetables," she said.

Roughly 30 per cent of depressed patients fail to adequately respond
to standard treatments for major depressive disorder such as cognitive behaviour therapy and anti-depressant medications.

"Nearly all our participants stayed with the program, and many were keen
to continue the diet once the study ended, which shows how effective,
tolerable and worthwhile they found the intervention."

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Technology_Sydney. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Jessica Bayes, Janet Schloss, David Sibbritt. The effect of a
Mediterranean diet on the symptoms of depression in young males
(the "AMMEND" study): A Randomized Control Trial. The American
Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2022; DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/nqac106 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/05/220509112049.htm

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