Guard Against Depression by Sticking to the Mediterranean Diet

A new study shows you can guard against depression by sticking to the Mediterranean diet. If you cannot strictly adhere to it, then stick to one that closely resembles the Mediterranean.

The study,which is published in the Archives of General Psychiatry was conducted by researchers from a number of universities in Spain.

The results of the study show people whose diets were most associated with the Mediterranean diet were less likely to be diagnosed with depression during the four and a half years they were followed.

The researchers said that how much fruit, nuts, and legumes as well as the types of fats or oils they ate, were strongly linked to a lower risk of depression. They noted that the fatty acids found in olive oil may be one factor in lower rates of depression, although they concluded that the overall effect of the diet may be more important than singling out individual foods.

The Mediterranean diet is rich in fruits, nuts, vegetables, fish and plenty of olive oil. It permits a low intake of dairy products and moderate amounts of alcohol. The alcohol is usually red wine.

This type of diet has long been linked to lower risk of heart and circulation problems.

Although the study only shows a link between lower depression rates and the diet,  in general it is an excellent diet to follow. So guard against depression by sticking to the Mediterranean diet and keep your heart healthy at the same time!