By Stephen Beech on SWNS
A new study shows that people feel less stressed when they follow a Mediterranean diet.
The Mediterranean diet, which consists mainly of fruits, vegetables and whole grains with cold-pressed olive oil as the main source of fat, has already been shown to be effective in reducing the risk of heart attack or stroke, as well as other chronic diseases.
A new American study compares the effects of the Mediterranean and the traditional Western diet – which is known for being high in high-glycemic and low-quality processed foods – and shows that the Mediterranean variant reduces stress levels.
The results, published in the journal Nutrition and Health, suggest that people can reduce their perception of their ability to cope with stress by following a Mediterranean diet.
Professor Lina Begdache of Binghamton University in New York said: “Stress is considered a precursor to psychological suffering and studies, including our own, have shown that the Mediterranean diet alleviates psychological suffering.”
“So part of the puzzle may be explained by the fact that the Mediterranean diet may be associated with a reduction in the negative components of perceived stress and an improvement in its positive properties.”
While the Mediterranean diet is known for its benefits for mental and physical health, little has been known about its effect on stress perception, or the idea of how much stress one is under at any given time.
Begdache and her students conducted a survey of more than 1,500 people, asking them what types of food they eat and measuring their perceived stress levels.
The results using a machine learning model showed that consumption of components of the Mediterranean diet is associated with lower levels of perceived stress and psychological distress, while consumption of components of the Western diet is correlated with perceived stress and psychological distress.
Begdache said the findings “fill a gap” in the literature, as the majority of studies on diet and stress have focused on how stress affects diet choice and quality.
Now she and her team are investigating various aspects of brain function and behavior related to dietary habits.
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