Don't look for the box with the antidepressants. Just add fruits and vegetables to your daily menu and see the difference in your mood in three weeks. A healthy diet not only gives health and a balanced weight, but also happiness, say Australian researchers. The antidepressant effect of a healthy and balanced diet was observed in a small study in young adults with poor nutrition and moderate to severe symptoms of depression. Those who adopted a healthier diet reported fewer symptoms of anxiety and much better mood within a few weeks, according to the findings published in Plos One.
The data show that eating a lot of processed foods increases the risk of depression, said lead researcher Heather Francis, a professor of neuropsychology at Macquarie University in Sydney.
The study involved 76 students aged 17-35. They all reported eating a diet high in processed foods, sugar and saturated fat. They also reported feelings of sadness, decreased ability to experience joy and lack of motivation. Half of the participants were instructed to add fruits, vegetables, fish and olive oil to their diet while reducing processed foods. The rest continued to eat as before. Three weeks later, those who regularly ate better quality food also reported a clearly improved mood. At a time when people in the control group who had not changed their diet continued to have moderate to severe depressive symptoms, people on a
balanced diet reported fewer symptoms of anxiety. What exactly did those who ate healthier limit? Sweets, ready-made and casual food and soft drinks. What did they increase? Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish and olive oil. “This is an important aspect of the research. The fact that nutritional changes are small and easily feasible”, said Dr. Francis. Depression is linked to the body's chronic inflammatory response and inadequate nutrition increases systemic inflammation and is also a risk factor for depression. If you feel that the time has come to change your diet, enriching it with the basics of this research, we are sure that very soon you will see a satisfactory change in your mood and in your overall psychological health.
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