(28-01-13) Is your diet causing your depression?

by J. D. Heyes

(NaturalNews) The old expression, "You are what you eat," may go a long way
towards explaining what research increasingly says is a causal link between
diet and depression.

The good news for depression sufferers; however, is that because diet may be
affecting your mood, your condition is very treatable naturally.

A recent meta-analysis of 11 longitudinal studies involving unipolar
depression and/or symptoms of depression in adults between the ages of 18-97
years found a distinctive link between said depression and diet. Follow-up for
these studies ranged from two to 13 years, according to Diet and the risk of
unipolar depression in adults: systematic review of cohort studies.

"Researchers found an inverse association between depression risk and folate,
omega-3 fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, olive oil, fish, fruits,
vegetables, nuts and legumes. Results indicate that diet and nutrition may
influence depression risk," says an abstract of the findings by a team of
researchers from Oxford University in Great Britain.

Yet more evidence of a link between diet and depression

The meta-analysis confirmed findings from earlier, unrelated studies, in which
researchers from the U.S. essentially found a similar link between nutrition
and depression, though traditional clinical practice is to treat depression
chemically.

"When researchers came up with the term 'brain chemical imbalance' to explain
depression, the next step should have been to supply the brain with nutrients.
However, chemicals were prescribed instead," Carolyn Dean, M.D., an author and
medical director of the Nutritional Magnesium Association, told Everyday
Health.

The website noted that earlier studies have shown that a diet rich in what
medical professionals describe as "whole foods" also lowers the risk of
depression, while diets that consist primarily of processed foods may actually
work to increase the incidence of depression.

That's because, researchers say, whole foods are natural and thus have all of
their nutrients intact. They are also devoid of additives, unlike processed
foods which contain many additives and have most often lost much of their
nutritional value.

It is this loss of vital nutrients scientists believe is likely the root cause
of depression.

"We know that nutrients such as magnesium, essential fatty acids, and vitamin
B6 and B12 help create neurotransmitters, and we are also learning that a
deficiency in these nutrients can lead to a chemical imbalance in the brain,"
Dean said, adding that neurotransmitters are chemicals in the brain that
transmit signals between nerve cells.

Depression can result with these neurotransmitters becoming deficient.

Series of studies provide better understanding

A growing body of research has strengthened the belief among health
practitioners and scientists alike that diet and depression are inextricably
linked:

-- A recent study in the American Journal of Psychiatry contrasted a diet of
whole-food fruits, vegetables, grains and fish with a diet high in processed
meats, grains and fast foods. Researchers found that study participants who ate
the whole foods had a third less risk of developing depression.

-- A study published in the British Journal of Nutrition found that, after
five years, people who ate a diet rich in veggies, fruits and fish versus those
whose diets were loaded with sweetened desserts, processed meats and grains had
less risk of developing depression.

-- Yet another small study, this one published in the British Journal of
Nutrition, found that people with decreased fat intake had a 25 percent higher
risk of depression than those who consumed healthy sources of dietary fat such
as omega-3 fats, which are found in fish (salmon and tuna), as well as flaxseed
and walnuts.

-- Still another study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry found
that diets high in processed foods, sugar and non-healthy dietary fat increases
the risk of obesity, and that the additional weight then led to an increased
risk of depression.

Sources:

http://www.vitasearch.com/get-clp-summary/40464

http://www.everydayhealth.com

http://www.naturalnews.com/037021_foods_depression_mental_health.html

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In evidenza

"L'informazione presente nel sito serve a migliorare, e non a sostituire, il rapporto medico-paziente."

Per coloro che hanno problemi di salute si consiglia di consultare sempre il proprio medico curante.