London - The Mediterranean diet is known to help with heart health, but new evidence shows it can reduce depression, too.
Spanish researchers followed 4 000 people aged 55 to 80 - some on a Mediterranean diet, rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and olive oil, and some on a low-fat diet - for four years.
During that time, more than 200 of the group developed depression.
The Mediterranean diet cut the risk, most significantly - by 41 percent - among diabetic men, according to results published in the journal BMC Medicine.
The diet is thought to lower levels of inflammation. Inflammation reduces the secretion of a brain compound called neurotrophic factor, levels of which are lower in patients with depression. - Daily Mail