Research suggests Mediterranean diet reduces anxiety and reduces stress

Scientists from the University of the Sunshine Coast and the University of South Australia find in a new study that adherence to a Mediterranean diet is inversely associated with the severity of anxiety and stress-related symptoms in older community-dwelling Australians. did. However, this relationship was not observed for depressive symptoms. Researchers also found that certain dietary components of the Mediterranean diet, such as lower intake of sugar-sweetened beverages and higher intake of fruit, nuts, and legumes, were all independently inversely associated with symptoms of anxiety. I also observed.

In this study, University of the Sunshine Coast researcher Anthony Villani and his colleagues investigated the independent association between adherence to a Mediterranean diet and the severity of depression, anxiety and stress-related symptoms in older adults. did.

A total of 294 independently living older adults (aged 70.4 years) living in Australia participated in the study.

It showed that adherence to the Mediterranean diet was inversely associated with the severity of symptoms related to anxiety and stress. However, adherence to the diet was not associated with symptoms of depression.

Additionally, certain dietary factors have been shown to be inversely associated with the severity of anxiety and stress-related symptoms, including low intake of fruits, nuts, legumes, and sugar-sweetened beverages (less than 250 ml per day). I did.

“These foods were key indicators in a study of more than 300 older Australians,” said Dr Anthony Villani, a researcher at the University of the Sunshine Coast.

“Overall, this study found that people who ate a Mediterranean-style diet high in fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, fish, and, of course, olive oil, had lower anxiety symptom intensity. ”

“When we looked at individual food groups in the diet, we found that the foods that had the strongest impact on reducing anxiety and stress were higher intakes of legumes and nuts and lower intakes of sugary drinks ( (less than one can of soft drink per week).

“Nuts and legumes are rich in fiber, healthy fats, and antioxidants, which may increase the number of good bacteria in your gut and reduce inflammation, which in turn may have a positive impact on brain health.”

“Although increased vegetable intake was also associated with reduced symptoms of depression, we were surprised that the overall findings were not as strong in reducing depression. This warrants further research. It’s justifiable.”

“The sugar-sweetened beverage results mirror other studies linking ultra-processed foods and chronic diseases,” he added.

“Although there is already ample evidence that the Mediterranean diet is associated with reduced depressive symptoms in young and middle-aged people, we wanted to examine the potential mental health benefits for older adults. Ta.”

The study controlled for other factors associated with poor mental health in healthy adults, including sleep, physical activity, body fat, and cognitive levels.

“This means that a healthy diet is really important for maintaining mental health, whether it’s sleep, weight, exercise, or brain function,” Dr. Villani said.

“The next step is to conduct human clinical trials.”

of Findings It was published in the magazine Nutrients.

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Lisa Alcock other2024. Adherence to a Mediterranean diet is inversely associated with anxiety and stress, but not depression: a cross-sectional analysis of community-dwelling older Australians. nutrients 16(3):366; doi: 10.3390/nu16030366