Handful of nuts a day ‘associated with 17% lower risk of depression’
Eating a handful of nuts every day is associated with a 17% lower risk of depression, scientists have said.
Data gathered from the UK Biobank, an online database of medical and lifestyle records of around 500,000 Britons, suggests middle-aged and older adults who consumed a daily 30g serving of nuts – including walnuts, almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, and pistachios – were less likely to report taking antidepressants or getting diagnosed with depression.
While the findings, published in the journal Clinical Nutrition, do not explain why this happens, the researchers speculate that anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of nuts may have a protective effect.
The team said nuts contain essential nutrients – in the form of bioactive substances such as phenols or phytosterols, essential micronutrients, fibre, high-quality protein, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, and vitamins – that could play a beneficial role in mental health.
Bruno Bizzozero-Peroni, a researcher at the Health and Social Research Centre at the University of Castilla-La Mancha in Spain, said: “Our findings highlight yet another benefit of consuming nuts, with a 17% decrease in depression associated with nut consumption.
“This provides an even stronger rationale for people to become enthusiastic about consuming nuts.”
For the study, published in the journal Clinical Nutrition, the researchers looked at data from more than 13,000 people aged 37-73, between 2007 to 2020.
These people did not report having depression at the start of the study.
Questionnaires were used to assess nut consumption and over the course of the study, self-reported doctor’s diagnosis of depression or antidepressant use were recorded.
After a follow-up of more than five years, more than 1,100 (8.3%) cases of depression were recorded.
Results also revealed those who had a low to moderate nut consumption – defined as one serving of 30g per day – had a 17% lower risk of depression, compared to those who did not eat nuts.
The researchers said this finding was regardless of other factors that might influence mental health such as lifestyle, medical conditions, and body mass index.