- Close adherence to a Mediterranean diet is associated with a reduced risk of depressive symptoms in older women, according to a new study.
- Consuming fish and monounsaturated oils, both part of the Mediterranean diet, proved particularly important for the association.
- While the study involved women and men, researchers saw a greater beneficial association between consumption of a Mediterranean diet and depression for women.
A newly published study finds that following a Mediterranean diet is associated with a reduction of depression in older women.
The World Health Organization (WHO)
The new study, which appears in the British Journal of Nutrition, finds that women most closely adhering to a Mediterranean diet were around 60% less likely to experience depression.
This effect was not observed in men.
The Italian NutBrain study involved 325 men and 473 women who were aged 65–97, with a mean age of 73.
Each participant responded to a 102-item questionnaire regarding their daily diet, allowing researchers to calculate each person’s Mediterranean diet score (MDS). Individuals were divided into three groups, or tertiles, based on how closely they followed the diet.
Participants were also assessed for depression using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale.
Overall, 19.8% of the study’s participants reported symptoms of depression — 27.9% of women compared with 8.0% of men.
People who scored within the top third of MDS scores were 55% less likely to experience depressive symptoms. Women in this tertile were around 60% less likely to report symptoms of depression.
Digging deeper into dietary elements, the researchers observed an association between eating more fish and monounsaturated fatty acids, compared with unsaturated fatty acids, and a greater reduction in depression.
While eating more fish was linked to a 44%…
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