MSGID: 1:317/3 6279ea8e   
   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
    A better diet helps beat depression in young men    
      
     Date:   
         May 9, 2022   
     Source:   
         University of Technology Sydney   
     Summary:   
         Young men with a poor diet saw a significant improvement in their   
         symptoms of depression when they switched to a healthy Mediterranean   
         diet, a new study shows.   
      
      
      
   FULL STORY   
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   Young men with a poor diet saw a significant improvement in their symptoms   
   of depression when they switched to a healthy Mediterranean diet, a new   
   study shows.   
      
      
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   Depression is a common mental health condition that affects approximately   
   1 million Australians each year. It is a significant risk factor for   
   suicide, the leading cause of death in young adults.   
      
   The 12-week randomised control trial, conducted by researchers from   
   the University of Technology Sydney, was recently published in the   
   peer-reviewed American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.   
      
   Lead researcher Jessica Bayes, a PhD candidate in the UTS Faculty of   
   Health, said the study was the first randomised clinical trial to assess   
   the impact of a Mediterranean diet on the symptoms of depression in   
   young men (aged 18-25).   
      
   "We were surprised by how willing the young men were to take on a new   
   diet," Bayes said. "Those assigned to the Mediterranean diet were able   
   to significantly change their original diets, under the guidance of   
   a nutritionist, over a short time frame."  "It suggests that medical   
   doctors and psychologists should consider referring depressed young men   
   to a nutritionist or dietitian as an important component of treating   
   clinical depression," she said.   
      
   The study contributes to the emerging field of nutritional psychiatry,   
   which aims to explore the effect that specific nutrients, foods and   
   dietary patterns can have on mental health. The diet used in the study   
   was rich in colourful vegetables, legumes and wholegrains, oily fish,   
   olive oil and raw, unsalted nuts.   
      
   "The primary focus was on increasing diet quality with fresh wholefoods   
   while reducing the intake of 'fast' foods, sugar and processed red meat,"   
   Bayes said.   
      
   "There are lots of reasons why scientifically we think food affects   
   mood. For example, around 90 per cent of serotonin, a chemical that   
   helps us feel happy, is made in our gut by our gut microbes. There is   
   emerging evidence that these microbes can communicate to the brain via   
   the vagus nerve, in what is called the gut-brain axis.   
      
   "To have beneficial microbes, we need to feed them fibre, which is found   
   in legumes, fruits and vegetables," she said.   
      
   Roughly 30 per cent of depressed patients fail to adequately respond   
   to standard treatments for major depressive disorder such as cognitive   
   behaviour therapy and anti-depressant medications.   
      
   "Nearly all our participants stayed with the program, and many were keen   
   to continue the diet once the study ended, which shows how effective,   
   tolerable and worthwhile they found the intervention."   
      
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   Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Technology_Sydney. Note:   
   Content may be edited for style and length.   
      
      
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   Journal Reference:   
      1. Jessica Bayes, Janet Schloss, David Sibbritt. The effect of a   
         Mediterranean diet on the symptoms of depression in young males   
         (the "AMMEND" study): A Randomized Control Trial. The American   
         Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2022; DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/nqac106   
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   Link to news story:   
   https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/05/220509112049.htm   
      
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