Written By: Longjam Dineshwori | Updated : May 21, 2022 2:09 PM IST
Mental problems like stress, anxiety and depression are not new in the present times. However, these problems have become very prevalent in the modern era, and more people now seem to be immersed in tension than happiness. Unfortunately, there is no cure for anxiety and stress.
Eating healthy is important for your physical as well as mental health. Depression is a common mental health condition affecting millions of people worldwide. It is a significant risk factor for suicide in young adults. Growing evidence suggests that lifestyle changes, such as a healthful diet, could help manage or improve symptoms of depression. While there's no specific diet to treat depression, researchers have shown that certain foods have protective effects against depressive symptoms such as mood swings and anxiety. When you're depressed, eating processed refined foods, sweets, and junk food may make you feel even worse. Now, a new study has linked consumption of a proline-rich diet to a greater risk of developing depression.
Proline is an amino acid that is present in a wide variety of foods. The study, published in the scientific journal Cell Metabolism, was conducted by researchers from the Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBGI) and Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) in Barcelona, Spain.
For the study, the researchers analysed the type and amount of amino acids in their diet. When their plasma metabolomics were evaluated, the concentration of proline emerged as one of the metabolites most associated with indicators of depression. The participants also completed a questionnaire to measure their depressive mood. Evaluation of this questionnaire also showed that consumption of proline was most associated with depression.
The researchers noted that their study opens the way to new studies to find possible diet-based treatments for depression.
Meanwhile, another recent study suggested that switching to a healthy Mediterranean diet may help beat depression.
The study, published in the peer-reviewed American Journal of Clinical Nutrition this month, stated that young men experienced a significant improvement in their symptoms of depression when they switched to a healthy Mediterranean diet.
The Mediterranean diet used in the study was rich in colourful vegetables, legumes and wholegrains, oily fish, olive oil and raw, unsalted nuts. The participants were also asked to reduce their intake of 'fast' foods, sugar and processed red meat.
The study authors, from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), suggested that diet should be considered as an important component of treating clinical depression, and that medical doctors and psychologists should consider referring depressed young men to a nutritionist or dietitian.
Jessica Bayes, a PhD candidate in the UTS Faculty of Health, explained that around 90 per cent of serotonin, a chemical that helps us feel happy, is made in our gut by our gut microbes. Emerging evidence also suggests that gut 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," Bayes said, as quoted by ScienceDaily.
Some studies suggested that increasing selenium intake may help improve mood and reduce anxiety. Selenium is present in a variety of foods including whole grains, Brazil nuts and some seafood. Increasing intake of omega-3 fatty acids have been found beneficial in managing depressive disorders. Good sources of omega-3 fatty acids include cold-water fish (such as salmon, sardines, tuna, and mackerel), flaxseed, flaxseed oil, chia seeds, and walnuts.
In previous studies, it was found that the symptoms of people with depression improved when they received nutritional counseling sessions and ate a more healthful diet.
