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The Southern European Atlantic diet and depression risk: a European multicohort study.
The typical dietary pattern of northern Portugal and northwest Spain is known as the Southern European Atlantic diet (SEAD, composed of cod and other fresh seafood, pork, red meat, dairy, whole-grain bread, legumes, vegetables, vegetable soup, and wine in moderation); however, it may also be similar to other European nations. It has been shown that SEAD is linked to a reduction in risk of myocardial infarction and death. Carballo-Casla et al. (2023) explored the relationship between SEAD and depression risk in populations in southern, central, eastern, and western Europe, owing to how dietary habits may potentially have an impact on mental health. The authors conducted a prospective study of five cohorts: HAPIEE (Czechia and Poland), Seniors-ENRICA-1 and Seniors-ENRICA-2 (Spain), and Whitehall-II (United Kingdom) (total n = 13,297 people, free of depression at baseline, age range: 42-92 years old). At follow-up, depression was classified as either self-reported diagnosis, inpatient admissions, usage of prescription antidepressants, or the existence of depression scales-verified symptoms of depression. Adjustments were made for nutritional, lifestyle, and sociodemographic factors. Analysis of the results showed 1437 new instances of depression during a median follow-up of 3.9 years. In the pooled sample group, adherence to the SEAD was linked to a decreased risk of depression. A comparable, though not statistically significant, tendency for a lower risk of depression was seen in each dietary category comprising SEAD. This correlation was comparable in strength to that observed for current healthy eating habits and was relatively constant across national boundaries. In conclusion, across European populations, the SEAD was linked to a decreased incidence of depression. The authors comment that their findings may help establish recommendations for mood disorders for people in Central, Eastern, and Western Europe based on the SEAD food categories that are culturally ingrained in these regions and the Southern European Atlantic regions based on their traditional diet. [NPID: Depression, diet, Europe, multicohort, prospective study, adults]
Year: 2023
