Category: Depression

One way this dietary change may help reverse depression is by affective levels of serotonin, the neurotransmitter that is central to mood.

Switching to a healthy Mediterranean diet can help reverse the symptoms of depression, a study finds.

Young men with moderate to severe depression in the clinical trial swapped out processed red meats, sugar and fast foods.

Instead, they ate colourful vegetables, wholegrains, fish and raw, unsalted nuts (see: the MIND diet).

One way dietary change may help reverse depression is by affective levels of serotonin, the neurotransmitter that is central to mood.

Higher quality of life

For the research, 72 depressed young men were assigned to  either a dietary change group or a control group that consisted of ‘befriending’.

Ms Jessica Bayes, the study’s first author, said:

“We were surprised by how willing the young men were to take on a new diet.

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.”

After 12 weeks, the results revealed that changing to the Mediterranean diet reduced depressing significantly more than befriending.

The young men also rated their quality of life as higher after changing their diet.

Ms Bayes explained the importance of diet:

“The primary focus was on increasing diet quality with fresh wholefoods while reducing the intake of ‘fast’ foods, sugar and processed red meat.

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.”

Around 30 percent of people do not respond to standard depression treatment, such as medication and/or cognitive-behavioural therapy.

Ms Bayes said:

“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.”

Diet and mental health

Hundreds of studies have linked a better diet with improved mental health.

For example, studies have shown a link between a diet rich in vegetables, nuts, fruits and fish and a lower risk of depression.

Raw fruits and vegetables in particular have been linked to better mental health.

Avoiding a high-fat diet can reduce depressive behaviour in mice.

Reducing the intake of common inflammatory foods including fast food, cake and processed meats reduces the risk of depression.

Similarly, cutting down on refined carbohydrates, such as white bread, white rice and soda, may lower depression risk.

All sorts of positive dietary changes, including weight loss, fat reduction and nutrient boosting diets, have been shown to improve mental health.

The study was published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Bayes et al., 2022).

Spotting when people are trying to avoid these sensations is critical to avoiding depression relapse.

People who have recovered from depression but try to block out emotions — including sadness and anxiety — are more likely to become depressed again, research finds.

Being open to both positive and negative emotions is critical to mental well-being.

One reason is that the emotions provide important information: they exist for a reason.

Emotions help to inform our thoughts and allow us to understand our experience.

Dr Norman Farb, the study’s first author, said:

“We don’t like feeling bad things, (but) we don’t really think about the implications of balancing our short-term relief with our long-term health.

Our research explains why working to keep feeling is so important.

It lays the groundwork for seeing that emotional stress actually robs us of sensation—and to undo stress, one must counter this inhibitory effect.”

Blocking emotions

The findings come from a study in which 166 people were given therapy for depression and then followed up over two years.

As part of the study, the brains of participants were scanned while they watched various videos, some of which included emotionally charged situations.

The researchers found that people who were more affected by sad videos were less likely to suffer a depression relapse.

Instead, it was the people who blocked their emotions that were at greater risk.

Dr Farb said:

“What actually determined their depression levels was how much that sadness was accompanied by a sensory shutdown.”

Emotions update our thoughts

When people block out negative emotions, they lose a vital way of updating their thoughts, said Dr Farb:

“Our thoughts are there to nail things down so you can hold onto them over time, and that’s fine as long as they keep getting updated—but the thing that updates it is new sensations.”

In other words, much as we might like to, we cannot live healthily without emotions like sadness and anxiety.

Minor negative events can lead to depression relapse for those suppressing their emotions, said Dr Farb:

“This negative mood gets tied up with thoughts about themselves and can be easily perpetuated over time, and the person can feel worse.

If the person suppresses these bodily sensations, their thoughts will compound into more and more depressive reactions.”

Spotting those who are trying to avoid sensations early is critical, said Dr Farb:

“We don’t have to wait until the person starts to really spiral, where it takes a lot of resources and time and effort to pull them out.

You can start to notice if the person is starting to fit the profile of someone who’s getting really sensory-avoidant.

We can address it then, before the person stops showing up to work or taking care of their kids.”

The study was published in the journal NeuroImage: Clinical (Farb et al., 2022).