People who feel low may snack on chocolate and cake – but this may aggravate their problems, British researchers warn today.
A "healthy" diet of vegetables, fruit and fish can have the reverse effect, helping stave off depression and mid-life crises, researchers found.
Psychiatrists said the study was the first to link healthy and "unhealthy" diets directly to depression.
Nearly 3,500 British civil servants, aged on average 55, were studied for the research, published in the British Journal of Psychiatry.
They found that those who ate the most processed food were most likely to be depressed.
In contrast, those eating unprocessed foods were the happiest with their lives.
The researchers led by Dr Tasnime Akbaraly, of University College London, said: "Our results suggest that consuming fruits, vegetables and fish may afford protection against the onset of depressive symptoms, whereas a diet rich in processed meat, chocolates, sweetened desserts, fried food, refined cereals and high-fat dairy products would increase people’s vulnerability."
They add: "The deleterious effect of a processed food diet on depression is a novel finding. Our research suggests that healthy eating policies will generate additional benefits to health and well-being, and that improving people’s diet should be considered as a potential target for preventing depressive disorders."
Akbaraly TN, Brunner EJ, Ferrie JE, Marmot MG, Kivimaki M and Singh-Manoux A (2009), Dietary pattern and depressive symptoms in middle age, British Journal of Psychiatry, 195: 408-413
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