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A recent study done at the University of Melbourne in Australia found that a diet of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, and high-quality meat and fish may help prevent mental illness — specifically, depression and anxiety. And conversely, a Western diet high in refined or processed foods and saturated fats may increase the risk of depression.
"A large, cross-sectional study conducted by investigators at the University of Melbourne in Australia shows that women who regularly consume a so-called traditional diet were more than 30% less likely to have major depression, dysthymia, and anxiety disorders compared with their counterparts who consume a Western diet. In addition, the Western diet was associated with a 50% increased likelihood of depression."
The investigators found one caveat and that was that high-quality meat is difficult to come by in the United States. This is because most of the cattle in North America are raised — from birth to death — in feed lots, where they are fed a corn-based diet.
This method of raising cattle may have a "profound impact" on the quality of the meat. It increases saturated fat and decreases very important good fatty acids. Whereas in Australia, red meat, such as beef and lamb, comes from pasture-raised animals, so it has a much healthier fatty acid profile.
The study was published online January 4 in the American Journal of Psychiatry. |
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