Diet and Depression Risk

 Researchers have established that the intake of trans-fats as well as saturated fats add to the risk of depression, and that olive oil, in contrast, protects from depression.

The volunteers had their lifestyle and diet analyzed at the start of the study, throughout its duration and also at the finish of the study. By doing this the study revealed that even though at the outset of the research not one of the volunteers had depression, by the end of the study 657 new cases were found.
Bad Diet and Depression Risk
Of all these cases, the individuals who had a higher intake of trans-fats displayed up to a 48 percent higher risk of depression when compared to individuals who didn’t eat these fats.
The study also revealed a dose-response relationship, the more trans-fats that were eaten, the more harmful the effect they produced in the volunteers.
Good Diet and Depression Risk
The researchers also analyzed the influence of polyunsaturated fats as well as olive oil on the incidence of depression. They found out that these types of healthier fats, together with olive oil, are associated with a reduced risk of depression.
The study had been carried out on a population having a low average intake of trans-fats, seeing as it made up only 0.4% of the total energy consumed by the volunteers. In spite of this, the researchers found an increase in the risk of depression of almost 50 percent. In countries like the U.S. the amount of energy derived from these food types is about 2.5 percent.
The analysis also shows that both depression and cardiovascular disease are affected in a similar way by diet.
Reference for: Diet and Depression Risk