A Plant-Based Solution for Depression
/Depression, also known as major depressive disorder or clinical depression, is one of the most commonly diagnosed mental illnesses. [1,2] Feeling sad or down is a natural human emotion; in fact, it’s part of being human. However, depression is not just feeling sad. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, symptoms must be present for at least two weeks before being diagnosed with depression. [1] Symptoms of depression include “low or sad mood, diminished interest in activities that used to be pleasurable, weight gain or loss, fatigue, inappropriate guilt, difficulty concentrating, and recurrent thoughts of death.” [2]
According to NIMH ( National Institute of Mental Health) an estimated 3.2 million adolescents aged 12 to 17 in the United States had at least one major depressive episode. This number represented 13.3% of the U.S. population aged 12 to 17. In addition to emotional well-being, depression can also take a toll on health care costs and workplace productivity. Antidepressants, which are used to treat depression, come with side effects and create a lifelong expense in many situations. Besides personal expenses, “depression causes the loss of an estimated 200 million workdays each year, costing employers between $17 and $44 billion.” [3] Lastly, almost 20 million people suffer from depression in the United States alone.
Surely, this means that depression is a major issue that we need to focus on. A lot of research in the field supports a whole food plant-based diet for depression!
Oxidative free radicals have been shown to play important roles in various neuropsychiatric disorders such as major depression. [4] However, the effects of this oxidative stress can be dampened by consuming antioxidants. Eating more fruits and vegetables means eating a higher amount of antioxidants and reducing the effects of depression.
For example, a study published in the journal Preventive Medicine surveyed nearly 300,000 Canadians aged 12 and older. The objective of the study was to “examine the association between fruit and vegetable intake (FVI) and mental health disorders.” They found that “greater fruit and vegetable consumption was associated with lower odds of depression, psychological distress, self-reported mood and anxiety disorders, and poor perceived mental health.” [5] They concluded that “A healthy diet comprised of a high intake of fruits and vegetables is rich in antioxidants, and consequently may dampen the detrimental effects of oxidative stress on mental health.” [5]
Based on these conclusions one may wonder, “If it’s the antioxidants that lower the odds of depression, then won’t antioxidant pills do the same?” The answer is no! A lot of recent studies show that antioxidants in the form of pills won't be as effective as fresh fruits, vegetables, and a whole food plant-based diet would be. The main treatment for mental health currently is antidepressants.
Another study published in the March/April issue of the American Journal of Health Promotion demonstrates how a plant-based nutrition program improves not only depression, but anxiety, fatigue, productivity, and other markers of well-being. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) has a blog post titled Foods that Fight Depression which has a detailed elaboration of the study. However, for me, the most impact making part of the blog was the chart. The graph below shows that just by simply eating a whole food plant-based diet, emotional well being was improved substantially.
Chart Credits: Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM)
Depression not only ruins a person's family life but also social life too. You can read the incredible stories on Forks over Knives of how someone tackled depression just by going plant-based! Read this inspiring story from Forks Over Knives. [6]
Once we accept that we want to make our lifestyle plant-based, the question of how arises. Here is a prior blog where I have described different ways to make a positive change and take control of your life. Some people choose to make an overnight change to whole food plant-based, while others decide to follow a moderate way by slowing winning over days of the weeks being plant-based. To help everyone make this a successful transition, I have added a whole page dedicated to recipes. Still, if you are not sure about making the shift to a whole food plant-based diet, feel free to research around this website on your own. After reading this blog, you may have decided to change your lifestyle to plant-based, and I applaud your decision. I wish you may seek all the support to sustain your lifestyle!
Sources:
[1] https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression/index.shtml
[2] https://nutritionfacts.org/topics/depression/
[3] https://www.pcrm.org/good-nutrition/food-and-mood
[4] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0278584612002722?via%3Dihub
[5] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091743512006330?via%3Dihub