New study: Several fish meals per week and monounsaturated fatty acids, such as olive oil or nuts, affect older women.
EA Mediterranean diet high in fresh fish and monounsaturated fats found in olive oil may reduce the risk of depression. At least that's the conclusion of one study… British Journal of Nutrition has been published. However, this effect was only seen in women.
If they consumed three or more servings of fresh fish per week, their risk of depression was reduced by 62 percent. No effect on canned tuna. But monounsaturated fatty acids found in olive oil, butter and many nuts also had a positive effect on the risk of depression.
One possible explanation is that the omega-3 fatty acids and monounsaturated fatty acids in fish have anti-inflammatory properties. Their influence on neurotransmitters in the brain can reduce the risk of depression.
differences
325 men and 473 women between the ages of 65 and 97 participated in the Italian “Nutbrain Study”. 28 percent of women and 8 percent of men reported symptoms of depression. This difference may also explain why an effect was seen only in women. As this was an observational study using a questionnaire, it cannot be ruled out that factors other than diet may have played a role.
