Eating fish could beat depression

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grilled salmon with spring...
grilled salmon with spring...



Eating lots of fish could help ward off depression according to a new study. Researchers in China looked at the diet and mental health of more than 150,000 people and found that those who ate the most fish were 17% less likely to suffer from depression.

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Writing in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, researchers suggested that the omega-three fatty acids found in fish are important for dopamine and serotonin production - two chemicals in the brain known to play a part in depression.

Prof Dongfeng Zhang, from the Medical College of Qingdao University, said: "Higher fish consumption may be beneficial in the primary prevention of depression.

"Future studies are needed to further investigate whether this association varies according to the type of fish."

The charity Mind have published a guide called Food and Mood, which includes advice on eating the "good fats" such as those found in fish.

"It is important not to oversimplify the results as there are lots of different factors in the development of depression," said Rachel Boyd, information manager at Mind.

"But we really agree that having these fatty acids in your diet can be helpful, and it's something where people can make quite small changes that could have quite a big impact."

%VIRTUAL-AFCSponserAds%If you don't like fish, eating seeds and nuts can provide you with fatty acids – or you could take a fish oil supplement.

Have you changed your diet to improve your mood? Leave a comment below...

Foods For A Good Mood, from Dr. Nancy Snyderman
Foods For A Good Mood, from Dr. Nancy Snyderman

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