We are pleased to have another blog written by our frequent guest blogger, Dr. Stephanie Sutton, psychiatry resident at UNMC.
Should you change your diet?
Sometimes you just want to reach for the chips, but a new study has shown the importance of specific dietary choices that can affect your mood. Dietary improvement specifically focused on the Mediterranean diet including seafood, chicken, legumes, nuts, fruits, and vegetables has been shown to decrease levels of depression. Dietary patterns that include more processed foods and foods high in sugar can lead to depression. Also, adding olive oil to your diet has been shown to increase cognition long-term.
Not only can your diet affect your mood, but it may also affect your skin. The verdict is still out, but many studies have shown that diet and acne could be linked. A diet low in Omega 3 fatty acids and high in refined sugars with high-glycemic index could put you at greater risk for acne. Dietary factors influence our level of inflammation, growth factors, and hormones which are linked to acne.
Next time you are going to make a meal, consider reaching for the olive oil, halibut, and lentils instead of the French fries and frozen pizza so that you feel healthier both inside and out!
Recommended recipe from author Julia Turshen’s cookbook Small Victories on Food 52:
https://food52.com/blog/18052-curried-lentils-with-coconut-milk-that-make-something-from-nothing
Sources:
- A randomised controlled trial of dietary improvement for adults with major depression (the ‘SMILES’ trial). Written by Felice N. Jacka et al. Published in BMC Medicine Jan 2017.
- The relationship of diet and acne: A review Written by Apostolos Pappas. Published in Dermatoendocrinol. 2009 Sep-Oct; 1(5): 262–267.
- Virgin olive oil supplementation and long-term cognition: the PREDIMED-NAVARRA randomized, trial. Written by Martínez-Lapiscina EH et al. Published in J Nutr Health Aging. 2013;17(6):544-52.
