health front

healthy diet decreased depression in young men

In a 12-week study conducted by researchers based in Sydney, Australia, men aged 18 to 25 with moderate to severe depression who ate a poor diet saw a significant improvement in depression symptoms after adopting a Mediterranean diet.

The 72 participants in the randomized controlled trial were assigned to either a control group or a Mediterranean diet group, who followed a whole foods menu abundant in vegetables, legumes, whole grains, oily fish, olive oil, and nuts. Those in the control group were paired with community volunteers who spent social time with them, a practice known as befriending therapy.

The researchers found that compared to befriending therapy, those in the Mediterranean diet group experienced a significant boost in their mental health and quality of life.

“We were surprised by how willing the young men were to take on a new diet,” lead researcher Jessica Bayes said in a news release from the University of Technology Sydney. “Those assigned to the Mediterranean diet were able to significantly change their original diets, under the guidance of a nutritionist, over a short time frame.”

The study’s conclusion indicates the importance of nutrition in treating depression, the scientist noted. “It suggests that medical doctors and psychologists should consider referring depressed young men to a nutritionist or dietitian as an important component of treating clinical depression,” Bayes said.

SELECTED SOURCES “A better diet helps beat depression in young men,” University of Technology Sydney, 5/9/22 • “The

effect of a Mediterranean diet on the symptoms of depression in young males (the ‘AMMEND’ study): A randomized control

trial” by Jessica Bayes et al., Am J Clin Nutr, 4/20/22

interval of vegan eating may help those with type 2 diabetes or overweight

Eating vegan for just 12 weeks may lead to better blood sugar levels and meaningful weight loss for people with Type 2 diabetes and people who are overweight.

Scientists in Denmark analyzed 11 trials with nearly 800 participants and compared vegan diets to other diets to determine their effects on body weight, body mass index (BMI), blood sugar levels, blood pressure, and cholesterol—all cardiometabolic risk factors.

They found that, compared to the other diets, vegan diets reduced body weight (a loss of at least 11 pounds was considered clinically meaningful) and BMI. Effects on blood sugar level and cholesterol were smaller, however.

Lead researcher Anne-Ditte Termannsen of the Steno Diabetes Center in Copenhagen, in a news release from the European Association for the Study of Obesity, said, “Vegan diets likely lead to weight loss because they are associated with a reduced calorie intake due to a lower content of fat and higher content of dietary fiber. However, more evidence is needed regarding other cardiometabolic outcomes.”

SOURCE “Vegan diets boost weight loss, lower blood sugar in adults with overweight or Type 2 diabetes,” European Association for the Study of Obesity, 5/5/22

omega 3s may reduce hospitalizations

An omega-3 fatty acid supplement appeared to reduce the likelihood of heart-failure hospitalizations in people with Type 2 diabetes. The benefits were higher for Black people compared to others in the study.

Participants in the original study took 2,000 IU of vitamin D each day along with the omega 3s EPA (460 milligrams) and DHA (380 mg). The trial lasted more than five years and had more than 25,000 participants. The new offshoot of that study looked at results from about 1,700 participants who had been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.

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