Mediterranean Diet May Improve Symptoms of Depression!

 

      Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a protein that is found in the "brain and the periphery neural system". It has many functions which include stimulating the new neural growth of neurons and synapses, important for long-term memory, controls neurogenesis,  and coordinates responses to enriched environments etc. The upregulation or downregulation of BDNF has also been linked to numerous diseases such as depression, schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder and Alzheimer's. (Wikipedia 1) Just to name a few!
     A recent study has shown for the first time that diet affects the levels of BDNF in the brain.  In the study, 243 participants were divided into 3 groups according to intervention diet. The three diets included the control low-fat diet, the Mediterranean diet supplemented with virgin olive oil and the Mediterranean diet supplemented with nuts. The goal of the study was to find out if the different diets produced an association of low levels of BDNF.  The results showed a significant lower risk of low BDNF levels from the Mediterranean diet with nuts compared to the control group. In addition, in individuals with depression significantly higher levels of BDNF were found in the Mediterranean with the nuts group. From the results, the researchers concluded that a Mediterranean diet with nuts is associated with improved levels of BDNF in individuals with depression. (Sanchez-Villegas 2)


1. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Wipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain-derived_neurotrophic_factor

2. The effect of the Mediterranean diet on plasma brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels: the PREDIMED-NAVARRA randomized trial. Nutritional neuroscience, Vol. 14, No. 5. (September 2011), pp. 195-201 by Almudena Sánchez-Villegas, Cecilia Galbete, Miguel Angel A. Martinez-González, et al. http://www.citeulike.org/user/kimberlykramer2015/article/13581162