The Mediterranean diet may reduce the risk of depression in women ages 65 to 74. These results were reached by scientists from an Italian institute conducting research in the field of neurological and mental diseases – the C. Mondino National Institute of Neurology Foundation. Research results published In the British Journal of Nutrition (BJN).
325 men and 473 women participated in the study, 60% of whom were between the ages of 65 and 74. It is stated that approximately 20 percent of the participants showed symptoms of depression. To learn how the Mediterranean diet affects mental health, researchers collected information about participants’ eating habits, such as the amount of fish, vegetables, fruits, seafood and healthy fats they consumed.
Increasing the proportion of fish in the diet was associated with a 44% reduced risk of depression in men and women. After stratifying by gender, scientists found that eating halibut, trout, sea bream, cod, hake and sea bass could reduce the likelihood of developing this disease in women by 62%. The researchers also calculated that for every gram of fish consumed, the overall risk of depression decreased by 2% in women, but not in men.
Additionally, women who ate three or more servings of fish per week had an additional 70% reduction in their chances of developing depressive disorder. No such relationship was found in men.
These differences may be due to the higher incidence of vitamin D deficiency in women, which is corrected by the Mediterranean diet. It is also stated that increasing omega-3 fatty acids from foods (oily fish) protects not only from depression but also from psychosis. This is due to omega-3’s ability to support the formation and functioning of brain cell membranes.
Psychologists before I learnedHow biorhythms affect mental health.