summary: A new study suggests that following a Mediterranean diet may reduce stress compared to a traditional Western diet. The findings suggest that following a Mediterranean diet can lower your perception of how much stress you can tolerate.
The diet is based on plant-based foods high in healthy fats, in contrast to the Western diet, which is high in processed foods. Using surveys and machine learning, the study showed that the Mediterranean diet is associated with reduced stress and psychological distress.
Key Facts:
- Dietary Effects: The Mediterranean diet is linked to lower stress levels.
- research method: More than 1,500 people were surveyed, assessing their eating habits and stress levels.
- Food comparison: A Western diet is associated with higher perceptions of stress and psychological distress.
sauce: Binghamton University
A new study from a team at the State University of New York at Binghamton suggests that a Mediterranean diet may make you feel less stressed than a traditional Western diet.
Lina Begdace, an associate professor of health and wellness studies, said the findings suggest that following a Mediterranean diet can help lower people’s perception of how much stress they can tolerate.
“Stress is recognised as a precursor to psychological distress, and studies, including our own, have demonstrated that the Mediterranean diet reduces psychological distress,” she said.
“Thus, one element of this puzzle may be explained by the fact that the Mediterranean diet may be associated with a reduction in negative aspects of perceived stress and an improvement in positive aspects.”
The Mediterranean diet is based on plant-based foods with healthy fats and contains mostly wholesome foods and a variety of natural colors. This diet stands in contrast to the Western diet, which is known for being high in glycemic index and high in low-quality processed foods.
The Mediterranean diet is known to have benefits for both mental and physical health, but little is known about its effects on perceived stress – how stressed you are at any given time.
To evaluate this, Begdace and her students surveyed over 1,500 people, asking them what types of foods they ate and assessing their perceived levels of stress. Using machine learning models, they found that consuming elements of the Mediterranean diet correlated with lower levels of perceived stress and mental distress, while consuming elements of the Western diet correlated with higher levels of perceived stress and mental distress.
Begdace says these results fill a gap in the literature, as most research on diet and stress has focused on how stress affects food choices and quality. He and his team are looking at different aspects of brain function and behavior related to eating patterns.
About this research news on diet and stress
author: John Brel
sauce: Binghamton University
contact: John Brel – Binghamton University
image: Image courtesy of Neuroscience News
Original Research: Open access.
“The effects of Mediterranean and Western dietary patterns on stress and psychological distressBy Lina Begdache et al. Nutrition and Health
Abstract
The effects of Mediterranean and Western dietary patterns on stress and psychological distress
Compared with the Western diet, the Mediterranean diet is known to have many benefits for both mental and physical health, but little is known about the impact of these dietary patterns on perceived stress and psychological distress.
To assess the relationship between eating patterns, perceptions of stress, and mental health, an anonymous online survey of adults aged 18 years and older was distributed via several social media platforms and email listservers.
The survey included demographic questions, a diet and mood questionnaire, the Perceived Stress Scale, and the Kessler Psychological Stress Scale (K-6). A total of 1591 participants completed the survey. Data were analyzed using principal components analysis and Pearson correlation coefficients in SPSS version 28.0.
The results showed a significant negative correlation between several components of the Mediterranean diet, including whole grains, seafood, fruits, vegetables, and legumes, and perceived stress and psychological distress.
Meat, despite being a result of a Western diet, was negatively correlated with perceived stress and psychological distress, but significant positive correlations were detected between perceived stress and psychological distress and Western dietary habits such as fast food and high glycemic index foods.
Our findings provide evidence that dietary patterns modulate stress responses and suggest that adopting elements of the Mediterranean diet may be beneficial for mental health and stress reduction.
