11.01.09
Indication: Depression
Source: Archives of General Psychiatry, October 2009;66:1090-1098.
Research: Spanish researchers followed more than 10,000 healthy adults who filled out questionnaires between 1999 and 2005. All were free of depression when the trial started. Their adherence to the Mediterranean diet was measured by looking at nine components, such as low intake of meat, moderate intake of alcohol and dairy products, and high intake of fruits, nuts, cereals, vegetables and fish.
Results: After an average follow-up of 4.4 years, the overall incidence of depression for those who most followed the diet was 30% lower than for those who most ignored the dietary rules. Even lower rates of depression were associated with intake of specific elements of the Mediterranean diet, such as fruits, vegetables and olive oil. Possible explanations for the reported protective effect include improvement of the function of the endothelium, the delicate inner lining of blood vessels, which is involved in the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). In addition, olive oil improves the binding of serotonin to its receptors.