YOU THINK LIKE YOU EAT –
May 18, 2022 – Australian researchers at the University of Technology Sydney performed a randomized control trial for 12 weeks to assess how the Mediterranean diet would impact depression symptoms in young men. A Mediterranean diet focuses on fruits and vegetables, oily fish, lean meats, healthy fats, and whole grains. Processed food, alcohol, red meat, and sugar are kept very low, if present at all.
Throughout the course of the trial, many of the young men were willing (even eager) to change their diet. Those who were assigned a Mediterranean diet worked with a nutritionist to move away from their original diets and incorporate more “Mediterranean-friendly” foods.
The results were incredible: young men who adhered to a Mediterranean diet as prescribed experienced a significant boost in mental health, and many saw their depression symptoms subside — without any other intervention aside from the diet change.
Researchers in the study wanted the clinical trial to contribute to a new and emerging field called “nutritional psychiatry,” which explores the direct impact that foods and nutrients have on our moods, brains, and overall mental well-being.
