(The following information is provided by the Samaritan Counseling Center of the Fox Valley. Their phone number is 886-9319.)
Does better diet improve mental health, or do people who are mentally healthy tend to make better food choices? Despair, depression, and anxiety tend to drive all kinds of unhealthy lifestyle choices, including dietary ones.
A study in the March 2010 issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry by Felice Jacka investigated three habitual dietary patterns: (1) Traditional – comprised mainly of vegetables, fruit, beef, lamb, fish, and whole-grain foods. (2) Western – consisting mostly of processed meats, pizza, chips, hamburgers, white bread, flavored milk, sugar, and beer. (3) Modern – includes mainly fruit, salad, fish, tofu, beans, nuts, yogurt, and red wine.
The study showed that of the three, the Western dietary pattern was most likely to be accompanied by dysthymia or major depression and increased psychological issues. The traditional dietary pattern was associated with a significantly reduced likelihood of both depressive and anxiety disorders, and in general, the Modern with a higher diet score was associated with fewer psychological symptoms.
Does better diet improve mental health, or do people who are mentally healthy tend to make better food choices? Despair, depression, and anxiety tend to drive all kinds of unhealthy lifestyle choices, including dietary ones.
A study in the March 2010 issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry by Felice Jacka investigated three habitual dietary patterns: (1) Traditional – comprised mainly of vegetables, fruit, beef, lamb, fish, and whole-grain foods. (2) Western – consisting mostly of processed meats, pizza, chips, hamburgers, white bread, flavored milk, sugar, and beer. (3) Modern – includes mainly fruit, salad, fish, tofu, beans, nuts, yogurt, and red wine.
The study showed that of the three, the Western dietary pattern was most likely to be accompanied by dysthymia or major depression and increased psychological issues. The traditional dietary pattern was associated with a significantly reduced likelihood of both depressive and anxiety disorders, and in general, the Modern with a higher diet score was associated with fewer psychological symptoms.
No comments:
Post a Comment