I think we all, if we’re forced to fess up about it, have some sort of sense of what is better for us to eat, depressed or not depressed, and what is generally–how to put this delicately?–junk?
I mean, if the foods you see below make up, say, 87% of your diet, we all have a sense that that’s less than ideal, right?
But there’s actual research highlighting the importance of sticking with a whole-foody type diet, and staying away from processed foods, in terms of depression prevention.
Entitled “Dietary Pattern and Depressive Symptoms in Middle Age” (and I see no reason why I can’t count myself among the middle aged, so no comments, please), published by Dr. Tasmine N. Akbaraly et al in the British Journal of Psychiatry, the article concludes that a diet heavily tilted towards processed foods–in contrast to a diet rich in whole foods–is actually a risk factor for depression. The researchers conclude:
“Our results suggest a protective effect of an overall diet rich in fruits, vegetables and fish, whereas an overall diet rich in processed meat, chocolates, sweetened desserts, fried food, refined cereals and high-fat dairy products seems to be deleterious for depression.”
Now, that’s unpleasant, I admit, particularly to those of us who think a chocolate omellette, then a Nutella sandwich, and, finally, salmon in white chocolate sauce, comprise a satisfying breakfast, lunch and dinner menu-provided the salmon meal is topped up with Hershey Kisses.
[Frankly, I think the word ‘chocolates’ just snuck itself into the research by mistake, and when I read it I assume it’s just a typo–no reason to worry about it.]
But, as one of my friends, a real southerner with a perfect drawl, once informed my adolescent daughter, complaining about some nonsense: “There’s a lot of things you’re going to find out about in this life, my dear–and most of them ain’t pleasant.”
This leads me to the topic of the Twinkie Defense. See if you can recall when San Francisco city supervisor Dan White shot Mayor George Moscone and Harvey Milk, one of San Francisco Board of Supervisors, White’s boss, and the first openly gay man to be elected to public office. White shot the men with premeditation–and, yes, malice aforethought–and killed them both. In fact, after after both men fell, he shot them again in the head. Yet White was found guilty only of voluntary manslaughter, and given the maximum sentence for that crime–only seven years and eight months in prison.
Why, you ask? Welcome to what has become known as the Twinkie Defense–and to how a California jury seemed to think, 20 years before Akbaraly et al’s publication, that there just might be something to this correlation between lousy eating and depression.
Articles:
- “Depression and Diet” at http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/diet-recovery
- “Diet and Depression” at http://reallyrawraederle.blogspot.com/2012/01/article-diet-depression.html
