Seafood for thought

EATING more seafood than fast food on a remote Torres Strait island may have made its residents less prone to mental illness, a new study has found.

James Cook University researchers examined the link between depression and diet on two islands in the region, Thursday Island and the more remote Murray (Mer) Island. Thursday Island has at least two fast food businesses, while Murray Island has none.

The research team interviewed about 100 people on both islands, asking them about their diet, screening them for levels of depression, and taking blood samples.

People on the more isolated island with no fast food outlets reported significantly higher seafood consumption and lower takeaway food consumption, compared to people on the other island.

Lead study author Maximus Berger said 16 people, who lived on the island where fast food was readily available, had moderate to severe depressive symptoms.

“People with major depressive symptoms were both younger and had higher takeaway food consumption,” he said. He said analysis of blood samples showed differences between the levels of two fatty acids in people who lived on each island.

“The level of the fatty acid associated with depression and found in many takeaway foods was higher in people living on the island with ready access to fast food,” he said. “The level of the fatty acid associated with protection against depression, and found in seafood, was higher on the other island.”

The Cairns Post spoke to a fast food outlet manager on Thursday Island yesterday, who said they did not agree with the outcome of the study, as their food made locals “very happy”.

JCU Professor Zoltan Sarnyai, however, said depression affected about one in seven people at some point in their lives, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were disproportionately affected by psychological distress and mental illhealth compared with the general population.

He called for more effort to be put into providing access to healthy food in rural and remote communities.

“It should be a priority and may be beneficial not only to physical health but also to mental health and wellbeing,” he said.

PEOPLE WITH MAJOR DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS WERE BOTH YOUNGER AND HAD HIGHER TAKEAWAY FOOD CONSUMPTION LEAD STUDY AUTHOR DR MAXIMUS BERGER