Can Mediterranean diet help in managing anxiety and depession?

Question

Hello doctor,

I have been doing some research on the Mediterranean diet lately and had a few questions I was hoping you could weigh in on. From what I have read, studies suggest following a Mediterranean-style eating pattern rich in fruits, veggies, whole grains, and healthy fats can actually help reduce the risk of anxiety and depression. Apparently, it has anti-inflammatory effects that benefit mental health. My main question is, how legit are these claims about the Mediterranean diet impacting psychological stress and mood disorders? Is the evidence strong enough that I should seriously consider adopting it to help manage my anxiety? I have struggled with anxiety and the occasional panic attack for years now. If a dietary change could potentially provide some relief?

Kindly help.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

A traditional Mediterranean diet consisting of large quantities of fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, fish, and olive oil coupled with physical activity reduces your risk of serious mental and physical health problems by:
Preventing heart disease and strokes. Following a Mediterranean diet limits your intake of refined breads, processed foods, and red meat, and encourages drinking red wine instead of hard liquor all factors that can help prevent heart disease and stroke.
Keeping you agile. If you are an older adult, the nutrients gained with a Mediterranean diet may reduce your risk of developing muscle weakness and other signs of frailty by about 70 percent.
Mediterranean people live their lives. When they sit down for a meal, they do not sit in front of a television or eat in a rush; they sit down for a relaxed, leisurely meal with others, which may be just as important for your health as what is on your plate. Mediterranean people also enjoy plenty of physical activity.

Collectively, the studies involved 16,584 participants including 7447 from trial reports. Of all subjects involved in the studies, 4092 represented a healthy population, of which 2086 were children. We divided the studies into 9 groups based on different aims of the studies and population: healthy or young subjects, post-menopausal women, elderly subjects, pregnant women, depressive disorder patients, type-2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and metabolic syndrome One study examined a population of 874 pregnant women to describe gestational diabetes and dietary interventions, one study considered postmenopausal women and two studies considered elderly population.

I hope this helps.

Thank you.