CCHR Points Out Research Concluding a Healthy Diet Can Improve Depression Symptoms

A growing body of research provides evidence that a healthy diet can be effective as a non-drug approach to treating depression symptoms. Citizens Commission on Human Rights encourages people to discuss alternatives to antidepressants with their doctors.

Washington, DC, January 1, 2025 /MarketersMEDIA/ — Reaching for healthier foods is not only good for the waistline and overall health, but can be beneficial in treating depression for some people, recent research has indicated.

Focusing on young adult males, who were expected to be resistant to dietary changes, Australian researchers conducted a 12-week study in which 72 males aged 18 to 25 who had moderate to severe depression and poor diets were encouraged to eat a healthy diet, with higher levels of vegetables, fruit, fish, whole grains, olive oil, nuts and legumes. A control group was given social support only.

The results, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, showed a substantial improvement of depression symptoms in the group that changed their diet, with one-third (36%) of them experiencing a full remission of their depression. There were also improvements in their energy, sleep, and quality of life.

A growing body of evidence also supports the idea that the quality of a diet can increase or decrease the odds of developing depression in the first place, with diets rich in plant foods and lean proteins linked to a lower risk of depression, while diets with more processed and sugary foods are associated with a higher risk of depression. 

This research indicates that relatively easy lifestyle changes may both prevent depression and be effective non-drug treatment for depression. Some 45 million Americans are currently prescribed antidepressant drugs for depression, which carry the risk of harmful side effects that include insomnia, emotional dulling, sexual dysfunction, aggression, and suicidal thoughts and actions. 

The rationale for prescribing antidepressants – to correct a supposed chemical imbalance in the brain – has been questioned by researchers who conducted a comprehensive review, which for the first time integrated all relevant research, to evaluate whether scientific evidence supported the theory that a low level of the brain chemical serotonin caused depression. 

“The serotonin theory of depression has been one of the most influential and extensively researched biological theories of the origins of depression,” wrote Joanna Moncrieff, the study’s lead author. “Our study shows that this view is not supported by scientific evidence. It also calls into question the basis for the use of antidepressants.” The study was published in Molecular Psychiatry.

The Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) recommends a complete physical examination with lab tests, nutritional and allergy screenings, and a review of all current medications to identify any physical causes of unwanted mental or emotional symptoms, which might otherwise be misdiagnosed and incorrectly treated as a psychiatric disorder.  

About the company: The Citizens Commission on Human Rights was co-founded in 1969 by members of the Church of Scientology and the late psychiatrist and professor of psychiatry Thomas Szasz, M.D., recognized by many academics as modern psychiatry’s most authoritative critic, to eradicate abuse and restore human rights and dignity to the field of mental health.

Contact Info:
Name: Anne Goedeke
Email: Send Email
Organization: Citizens Commission on Human Rights, National Affairs Office
Address: Washington, DC
Website: https://www.CCHRNational.org

Video URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ufOUHeS-ZY

Release ID: 89149766

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