Can what we eat affect how we experience stress? A new study from the State University of New York at Binghamton suggests that it might. Researchers found that a Mediterranean diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and healthy fats may lower perceived levels of stress, while a traditional Western diet high in processed foods and sugar may have the opposite effect. The findings add to a growing body of evidence that what we eat not only affects our physical health, but also our mental health.
This study Nutrition and Health.
The study, led by Lina Begdace, an associate professor of health and wellness studies, aimed to explore the relationship between diet and perceived stress. Perceived stress refers to how stressed an individual feels, regardless of whether they are actually experiencing stress in their life. Begdace and her team wanted to know whether different dietary patterns, specifically a Mediterranean diet versus a Western diet, would affect this perception of stress.
Previous studies have linked the Mediterranean diet to improved physical and mental health. However, little is known about how the diet affects stress perception – how much stress a person feels they can handle. Meanwhile, most research on diet and stress has focused on how stress affects food choices, leaving gaps in our understanding of the inverse relationship – how diet affects stress.
To investigate this, Begdace and his colleagues conducted a large-scale study of 1,591 people. The participants were mostly undergraduates from various universities, who were asked about their eating habits and stress levels. The survey also included questions about the frequency of consumption of certain food groups characteristic of either the Mediterranean or Western diet. Additionally, participants completed the Perceived Stress Scale, which measures the level of stress they feel in their lives, and the Kessler Psychological Stress Scale, which assesses mental stress.
The research team used machine learning models to analyze the data and look for correlations between the types of foods participants ate and their reported levels of stress and psychological distress. This approach allowed them to identify patterns in how different eating habits were associated with perceptions of stress.
Participants who followed the Mediterranean diet reported lower levels of self-perceived stress and psychological distress. Specifically, studies found that consuming foods staples of the Mediterranean diet, such as green leafy vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains, and fish, reduced stress levels. These foods are rich in nutrients that support brain health, including vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that help regulate neurotransmitters, chemicals in the brain that affect mood and stress response.
Conversely, the study found that participants who consumed a Western diet high in processed foods, sugar, and high glycemic index foods such as white bread and sweets reported higher levels of stress and psychological distress. Foods such as fast food, sugary snacks, and caffeinated beverages were associated with especially high stress levels. These findings suggest that a Western diet may exacerbate stress by promoting inflammation and imbalances hormones that regulate stress.
“Stress is recognized as a precursor to psychological distress, and studies, including ours, have demonstrated that the Mediterranean diet reduces psychological distress,” Begdace said. “Therefore, one piece of this puzzle may be explained by the fact that the Mediterranean diet may be associated with a reduction in the negative aspects of perceived stress and an improvement in the positive aspects.”
Interestingly, the study also found that some parts of the Western diet, such as meat and dairy products, were not as strongly associated with increased stress levels as other components of the Western diet, such as fast food and sugary snacks. In fact, certain animal proteins showed a slight negative association with stress, which the researchers suggest may be due to their content of nutrients such as tyrosine, a precursor to the mood-regulating neurotransmitter dopamine.
Although the findings are compelling, they do have limitations. One major limitation is the cross-sectional study design, meaning researchers observed participants’ eating habits and stress levels at only one point in time. This design makes it difficult to determine causation, making it hard to tell whether the Mediterranean diet actually reduces stress levels or whether less stressed people prefer the Mediterranean diet more. Longitudinal studies that follow participants over a longer period of time would be needed to establish a clearer causal relationship.
Another limitation is the reliance on self-reported data. Participants may not have accurately recalled or reported their eating habits, which could bias the results. Furthermore, although the sample size was large, it consisted mainly of university students and may not be representative of the general population. Future studies should aim to include more diverse samples and see if the findings hold across different age groups and backgrounds.
Finally, this study raises new questions for future research. For example, which components of the Mediterranean diet are most effective at reducing stress? Are there specific nutrients or food combinations that have the greatest benefits? Furthermore, research could explore the biological mechanisms underlying the relationship between diet and stress, such as the impact of inflammation and gut health on mental health.
“Most of the foods that make up the Mediterranean diet are rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatories,” the researchers conclude, “and also contain nutrients that are building blocks of neurotransmitters that regulate mood and stress. In contrast, the Western diet is deficient in these nutrients and has a high ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats that promote inflammation. The consumption of processed foods, high-sugar foods and caffeine has also been associated with increased cortisol levels, which intensifies the stress response. Overall, the findings of this study pave the way for future research into the influence of dietary patterns and their association with different components of the stress response and psychological stress.”
the study, “The effects of Mediterranean and Western dietary patterns on stress and psychological distress” was written by Ushima Chowdhury, Sabrina Bubis, Katerina Nagorny, Megan Welch, Lexis Rosenberg, and Lina Begdache.
