Can a healthy diet help combat depression?
| Oct 12, 2018, 16:02 IST
Researchers from the James Cook University in Australia recently conducted some unusual research. It found that the amount of fish and processed food eaten are each related to depression differently amongst people at the Torres Strait Islander. Professors Zoltan Sarnyai and Robyn McDermott looked at the link between diet and depression on an island where fast food joints were available and on another island where they weren't.
Lead author Dr Maximus Bergern said that the research was conducted on over 100 people. "We asked them about their diet, screened them for their levels of depression and took blood samples. As you'd expect, people on the more isolated island with no fast food outlets reported significantly higher seafood consumption and lower takeaway food consumption compared with people on the other island," he said.
"The level of the fatty acid associated with depression and found in many takeaway foods was higher in people living on the island with ready access to fast food, the level of the fatty acid associated with protection against depression and found in seafood was higher on the other island," said Dr Berger. Well, this certainly proves that there may be a link between diet and mental health.
Lead author Dr Maximus Bergern said that the research was conducted on over 100 people. "We asked them about their diet, screened them for their levels of depression and took blood samples. As you'd expect, people on the more isolated island with no fast food outlets reported significantly higher seafood consumption and lower takeaway food consumption compared with people on the other island," he said.
"The level of the fatty acid associated with depression and found in many takeaway foods was higher in people living on the island with ready access to fast food, the level of the fatty acid associated with protection against depression and found in seafood was higher on the other island," said Dr Berger. Well, this certainly proves that there may be a link between diet and mental health.