DASH Diet does more good
The DASH diet isn’t just good for lowering your blood pressure and helping you lose weight. It might also lower your risk for depression.
A study from Rush University Medical Center in Chicago finds people who followed DASH— short for “Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension”— had a lower chance of developing depression.
The DASH diet emphasizes eating fruits and vegetables along with low- fat or nonfat dairy, lean meats, and avoiding foods high in salt and sugar. The plan was created to help people with high blood pressure.
The study evaluated 964 participants with an average age of 81 annually for an average of six- and- a- half years. Researchers monitored symptoms of depression such as “being bothered by things that usually didn’t affect them and feeling hopeless about the future,” said a statement on the study. Participants also filled out diet questionnaires.
Results showed the odds of becoming depressed over time were 11 percent lower among people who followed the DASH diet most closely compared to participants who didn’t adhere to the plan. It also showed participants with diets high in saturated fats and red meats and low in fruits and vegetables were more likely to develop depression.
“Making a lifestyle change such as changing your diet is often preferred over taking medications, so we wanted to see if diet could be an effective way to reduce the risk of depression,” Dr. Laurel Cherian, the study’s author, said in a statement.
Cherian stopped short of saying following DASH will definitively reduce your depression risk, noting more studies are required.
The study will be presented during the American Academy of Neurology’s 70th annual meeting in Los Angeles next month.
Earlier this year, U. S. News andWorld Reportrevealed the DASH diet was tied with the Mediterranean diet as the best menu plan. The publication said DASH was among the best diets for weight loss, diabetes and for promoting heart health.