New research has found that even a brief change in your diet may help alleviate some of the symptoms of depression. The study, which was published in PLOS ONE, is one of the best pieces of evidence to establish the link between a poor diet and mental health.
Why study depression and diet in young adults?
Investigators at Macquarie University in Australia wanted to use young adults for two reasons:
- Young adulthood tends to come with an increased risk of depression.
- Young adulthood provides a critical time to help establish a healthy a diet that will carry them into adulthood.
For the 12-week study, the team followed 76 people between 17 and 35 who had moderate-to-high symptoms of depression. Everyone was assessed for mood, anxiety, depression, learning skills and reasoning skills. All 76 volunteers ate a diet that was high in processed foods, saturated fats and lots of sugar.
The group was divided with half continuing to consume their regular diet and the other half receiving:
- nutritional advice from a 13-minute online video (which participants could access throughout the study)
- two calls to check in on them (on day 7 and 14)
- some healthy foods to get them started
- a promise to give them a $60 gift card for turning in food receipts at the end of the 3 weeks
The results
After three weeks, the scientists found that the volunteers in the “diet” group stuck to their healthy changes. Their scores measuring anxiety and stress improved and their depression improved “significantly.” The other group’s members had no significant changes in their depression score.
After 9 more weeks passed, the research team called 33 of the participants who had been on the diet plan for the first 3 weeks. They found that although only seven people were still following a healthy diet, the group, as a whole, still showed improvements in mood.
