Role Of Balanced Diet In Fighting Depression In Young Men

We all know that one of the most common mental issues is depression, affecting millions of people worldwide. Depression is also considered one of the major risk factors contributing to suicide in young men. A twelve week study found that those on Mediterranean diet had been able to modify their original dietary habits. The study also suggests that psychologist and medical practitioners should refer depressed people to a dietitian or nutritionist as part of treatment for depression.

The study was a part of nutritional psychiatry that focuses on dietary patterns, food habits, certain nutrients and their effect on mental health. In particular the diet utilized during the study consisted of legumes, vegetables, oily fish, whole grains, and unsalted nuts. The purpose of utilizing this diet was to increase the quality of food intake. The aim was also to reduce consumption of sugar, fast foods, as well as processed red meat.

There are valid reasons for believing that our mood is affected by food we intake. For instance, almost 90% of serotonin, which is a chemical that makes us feel happy is produced by gut microbes in the gut. It is believed that these microbes are able to communicate with the intelligence system present in brain. Thus, to develop useful microbes we need to consume more fiber that is present in vegetables, fruits, and legumes.

Another promising thing about the study was that all the participants in the study continued in the study program and many of them were interested in continuing the diet even after the study completed. This highlights the fact that the intervention was tolerable, effective, and quite worthwhile. The study was conducted by University of Technology, Sydney.