Australian researchers have discovered that those over the age of 60 may get relief from stress and anxiety by cutting back on sugary drinks and increasing their intake of healthy foods like fruit, nuts, and legumes.
A Mediterranean-style diet—rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, seafood, and olive oil—was associated with less severe anxiety symptoms in a study of 300 Australians aged 60 and more, according to Dr. Anthony Villani.
In a study conducted by Dr. Villani, an accredited practising dietitian and academic at the University of the Sunshine Coast, the most effective ways to reduce anxiety and stress were to eat lots of nuts and legumes and drink very little sugary drinks (less than one can of soft drink per week).
A Mediterranean diet has been found to alleviate stress and anxiety, thus Australians are being encouraged to consume more nuts, legumes, fruit, and these types of foods.
Because of their high fibre, healthy fat, and antioxidant content, nuts and legumes are thought to promote gut flora production, inflammation reduction, and overall brain health.
“We were surprised that the overall findings were not stronger for alleviating depression and this warrants further study,” the authors write, “but higher vegetable intake was also associated with lower symptoms of depression.”
According to Dr. Villani, there is “good evidence” that a Mediterranean diet reduces depressive symptoms in younger and middle-aged adults, but the researchers were interested in exploring if the diet had any positive effects on mental health in older adults as well.
“Regardless of your sleep, weight, exercise or brain function, a healthy diet really does matter when it comes to good mental health,” Dr. Villani said, referring to the study’s controls for other factors like sleep, physical activity, body fat, and cognitive level, all of which are linked to poor mental health in otherwise healthy adults.
Human clinical trials, he added, will be the researchers’ next move.
Lisa Allcock, an honours graduate from the University of the Sunshine Coast, collaborated with Dr. Villani and colleagues from the University of South Australia to spearhead the study that was published in the journal Nutrients.
