In May 2019, the peer-reviewed journal Journal of Affective Disorders published a study in which researchers from Canada and Iran reported a link between diet and mental health.
Over 3,100 people participated in their study, then recorded their dietary habits and measured their depression and psychological distress levels. Researchers split participants into four groups, depending on how closely followed the MIND diet.
The MIND diet combines the Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet, focusing on eating more of the following foods:
- Vegetables, especially green, leafy vegetables
- Berries
- Nuts
- Olive oil
- Whole grains
- Fish
- Beans
- Poultry
What the researchers discovered was that participants who followed the MIND diet the closest had lower odds of depression and psychiatric distress, when compared to those who followed the MIND diet the least.
This is one more study in a growing body of research showing a connection between what we eat and our mental health. Here at Truehope, we’ve been promoting nutrition as mental health treatment for over 20 years.