Student Article
A Healthy Diet Could Reduce the Symptoms of Depression
Depression (noun): A mental health condition causing sadness and fatigue.
Processed foods (noun): Foods that have been altered or prepared in a factory.
Lean meats (noun): Meats with low fat content.
Discover how a healthy diet can help reduce depression symptoms!
A surprising study about foods
A study in Australia found that changing to a healthy diet can reduce the symptoms of depression in just three weeks. Young adults with diets high in processed foods, sugar, and fats showed significant improvement in mood after eating more fruits, vegetables, fish, and lean meats.
The experiment: two different diets
Heather Francis and her colleagues at Macquarie University in Sydney studied 76 students aged 17-35 with poor diets and moderate to high symptoms of depression. The students were randomly split into two groups: one group continued with their existing diets, while the other group received advice on healthy eating and a basket of healthy foods.
What changed after three weeks?
The researchers assessed each student for depression, anxiety, and overall mood before and after the three-week test period. They also rated their performance on several learning and reasoning tasks. At the end of the three weeks, the healthy eating group showed significant improvement in mood, with depression scores dropping into the normal range. The students who continued eating unhealthily remained in the moderate-to-high range.
The changes lasted
The healthy diet group also showed lower anxiety scores than the unhealthy diet group. The researchers checked in with 33 of the students three months later and found that those who continued eating healthy foods maintained their improvements in mood.
© Rob Banino / Our Media
Depression (noun): A mental health condition causing sadness and fatigue.
Processed foods (noun): Foods that have been altered or prepared in a factory.
Lean meats (noun): Meats with low fat content.