The study concluded that following a healthy diet reduces the risk of developing depression.

VALENCIA (EP). A study carried out by the Del Mar Hospital Research Institute in Barcelona, concluded that following a healthy diet reduces the risk of depressive symptoms.the hospital said this Thursday in a statement.

Research published in the journal European Journal of Nutritionfollowed more than 3,000 people from the Gironí del Cor (Regicor) registry for 6 years to evaluate the effect of different types of healthy diets on the risk of developing depressive symptoms or receiving a diagnosis of depression.

The study includes 4 types of diets that match food groups such as fruits, vegetables and legumes, as well as limiting red and processed meat: one Mediterranean diet, another to prevent hypertension, one vegetarian and one recommended by the World Health Organization. Health Organization (WHO).

Differences between the 4 diets They are found in fish, dairy products and sugar.and the study concludes that “better adherence to any of the diets analyzed is a protective factor against depression,” which affects 1 in 10 people in Catalonia.

Mediterranean diet

Del Mar Hospital Researcher Camille Lassalle explained that “the better the diet, the lower the risk of developing depression,” highlighting that the Mediterranean diet received the best results, which suggests that increasing adherence to this diet reduces the risk of developing depression by 16%.

Del Mar Hospital Researcher Gabriela Lugon explained that depression has “many risk factors,” some of which cannot be changed, but there are others, such as diet, that can be changed and allowed for intervention.

Therapeutic supplement

“Changing diet will not end depression, but it can play an important role and be an intervention factor,” added Lugon, who notes that improving diet can be a non-pharmaceutical adjunct in the treatment of depression.

The study also involved researchers from the Center for Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition (Ciberobn), the Center for Cardiovascular Diseases (Cibercv) and the Barcelona Institute of Global Health (ISGlobal).