Diet And Depression - You Are What You Eat!
What's The Connection Between Nutrition And Depression?

Diet and depression reminds me of the old saying, "You are what you eat". Studies have shown that maintaining a healthy diet prevents the onset of depression symptoms and anxiety symptoms. Proper nutrition also increases our ability to think clearly.

An article was was published in many Psychiatric Journals around the world about a study that was done to determine how diet and depression can affect our overall mental health, and how food and mood go hand in hand.

After going through some careful screening, participants were divided into two groups -- each one to consume a particular kind of diet for the duration of the study.

The research involved looking closely at diet and depression, so as a result, the groups were categorized like this:

Processed foods, such as:

• Refined grains
• High fat dairy products
• Fast food, fried food
• Desserts and sweets
• Processed meat

The second group was the whole foods group, so as you might guess, their menu closely resembled a Mediterranean diet, and consisted of:

• Vegetables
• Fruit
• Seafood (fish)

As the study concluded, participants were asked to fill out a depression questionnaire. The results indicated that antioxidants found in many fruits and vegetables tended to offer a protective effect and helped to ward off depressive symptoms.

Diet And Depression - What Is The Mediterranean Diet?

Scientists have discovered that the Mediterranean diet is (so far) the best remedy to help prevent depression, at least with regards to the kinds of food we are putting into our bodies.

Olive oil is used daily in the Mediterranean region, and its monounsaturated fatty acids are likely responsible for lowering the risk of severe depressive symptoms.

Other unhealthy oils, such as those found in junk food, cause a severe disruption in serotonin levels in our brain. This inhibits our ability to release tension and feel calm. Instead, we become more restless, irritable, prone to anger and mood swings.

Diet And Depression - Anorexia - Ancel Keys Study

Some people see anorexia as nothing more than a dangerous "fad" diet. Even if you choose to believe that, you have to wonder what happens to the body during anorexia nervosa, or during these starvation diets.

This is one area where we know that diet and depression are most certainly linked.

A clinical study, known as The Minnesota Starvation-Recovery Experiment was performed at the University of Minnesota between November 19, 1944 and December 20, 1945. Led by scientist Ancel Keys, its purpose was to study the physiological and psychological effects of starvation.

One of the conclusions of this study is that starvation produces a significant increase in depression and hysteria. The more that participants were subjected to inadequate, unhealthy diets, the more aggressive the symptoms of depression, and incidents of self cutting (self injury) became.

This experiment helped to prove the connection between diet and depression. What we put into our bodies matters. Even if we eat nothing, it still matters. Food is fuel, and our bodies require it in moderate, balanced, healthy amounts.

Read about another aspect of a starvation diet.

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