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10/10/2024 - Press release

Following a healthy diet reduces the risk of experiencing depression symptoms.

• A study conducted by the Hospital del Mar Research Institute, using data from the Girona Heart Registry (REGICOR), reveals that people who follow healthy diets have a lower risk of experiencing depression symptoms or receiving a depression diagnosis.
• In fact, improving adherence to a healthy diet, such as the Mediterranean diet, reduces the risk of depression by 16%.
• The authors of the study suggest that recommendations aimed at improving diet could serve as a non-pharmacological complement in the treatment of depressive disorders.

Eating well and following a healthy diet may have a protective effect against depression, according to a study published in the European Journal of Nutrition, led by the Hospital del Mar Research Institute. The study followed individuals registered in the Girona Heart Registry (REGICOR) to evaluate the impact of four types of healthy diets on the risk of experiencing depressive symptoms or receiving a depression diagnosis, a disorder that affects one in ten people in Catalonia. The study involved researchers from the CIBER for Obesity and Nutrition Pathophysiology (CIBEROBN), the CIBER for Cardiovascular Diseases (CIBERCV), and the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal).

The study analyzed participants adherence to four types of diets: the Mediterranean diet, the DASH diet (to prevent hypertension), a vegetarian diet, and a diet recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). All these diets share common recommendations, such as including fruits, vegetables, and legumes while limiting the intake of red and processed meats. However, they differ in terms of the emphasis on fish, dairy products, or sugar in their dietary recommendations.

The study involved over 3,000 individuals, with data on their diets being collected and tracked over six years. At the end of the period, participants were surveyed to determine if they exhibited symptoms of depression. Six percent (184 people) had symptoms of depression, and less than 2% suffered from severe depression.

Dietary protection

The study's findings show that better adherence to any of the analyzed diets serves as a protective factor against depression. "The better the diet, the lower the risk of developing depression", notes Camille Lassale, a researcher at the Hospital del Mar Research Institute. In this regard, the Mediterranean diet showed the best results, with a 16% reduction in the risk of experiencing depression symptoms. This is equivalent to going from not following one of the diet's recommendations to fully incorporating it. This effect is entirely independent of factors such as lifestyle, body weight, health, or the sociodemographic level of the participants.

A second analysis of the data, involving nearly 5,000 people and utilizing data from the Program for Data Analytics for Research and Innovation in Health (PADRIS) of the Catalan Health Quality and Evaluation Agency (AQuAS), directly linked diet to a diagnosis of depression, identifying 5.45% of new cases over a 12-year follow-up period. In this case, the risk was 19% lower when following the WHO's healthy diet recommendations.

From left to right Roberto Elosua, Gabriela Lugon, i Camille Lassale

"Depression has many risk factors, some of which are non-modifiable, but others, such as diet, can be modified, and interventions can be considered. Changing one's diet won't cure depression, but it can play an important role and serve as a point of intervention, alongside other factors", says Gabriela Lugon, also a researcher at the Hospital del Mar and Resident physician of the Teaching Unit of Preventive Medicine and Public Health at Hospital del Mar, Pompeu Fabra University, and the Public Health Agency of Barcelona". The study's authors urge mental health professionals to consider this factor when addressing the situation of individuals with a depression diagnosis. "Healthcare professionals should recognize that physical activity and diet not only benefit physical health but also have an impact on mental health", explains Camille Lassale.

Given these findings, Dr. Víctor Pérez, head of the Psychiatry Department at Hospital del Mar, who was not involved in the study, notes, "We are increasingly gathering more information on the interaction between diet and mental disorders. Therefore, studies like this one are of particular interest."

In this context, the authors highlight the need for public policies that facilitate access to healthy and balanced diets for the entire population. However, they also caution against attributing mental health disorders to patient behavior to avoid stigmatization.

Reference article

Lugon, G., Hernáez, Á., Jacka, F.N. et al. Association between different diet quality scores and depression risk: the REGICOR population-based cohort study. Eur J Nutr (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-024-03466-z

More information

Hospital del Mar Research Institute/Hospital del Mar Communications Department: Marta Calsina 93 3160680 mcalsina@researchmar.net, David Collantes 600402785 dcollantes@hospitaldelmar.cat

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