What we eat can dispel sadness;
scientists say, sadly for some of us, it's not ice cream or chocolate cake:
a healthy diet—high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish and unprocessed lean red meat—can prevent depression. And an unhealthy diet—high in processed and refined foods—increases the risk for the disease in everyone, including children and teens. [snip]
Depression has many causes—it may be genetic, triggered by a specific event or situation, such as loneliness, or brought on by lifestyle choices. But it’s really about an unhealthy brain...A bad diet makes depression worse, failing to provide the brain with the variety of nutrients it needs.
These assertions about eating right are supported by a study that observed the diets and moods of 67 people diagnosed with depression:
Half of these people were given nutritional counseling from a dietitian, who helped them eat healthier. Half were given one-on-one social support—they were paired with someone to chat or play cards with—which is known to help people with depression.
After 12 weeks, the people who improved their diets showed significantly happier moods than those who received social support.
"Nutritional psychiatrists" are developing an understanding of how diet affects mental health.
A bad diet makes depression worse, failing to provide the brain with the variety of nutrients it needs, Dr. [Drew] Ramsey says. And processed or deep-fried foods often contain trans fats that promote inflammation, believed to be a cause of depression...A bad diet also affects our microbiome—the trillions of micro-organisms that live in our gut. They make molecules that can alter the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter found in the brain.
The science is somewhat new, so I'm still holding out hope for ice cream and chocolate cake.
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