Blackmores Institute

The exploratory study of over 200 university students (average age 20 years) assessed adherence to the Mediterranean Diet (MD) using the 14-point questionnaire from the PREvención con DIetaMEDiterránea (PREDIMED) study - a nutritional intervention study evaluating the efficacy of the MD in the long-term prevention of cardiovascular diseases.The results revealed statistically significant relationships between adherence to the MD and a positive emotional state, suggesting that adopting this dietary pattern is connected with a better emotional state. “Strict MD adherence is related to a slower rate of cognitive impairment and such adherence may be an indicator of the high consumption of olive oil, fish, fruits, vegetables, and legumes, which indicate a lower probability of having depressive symptoms, stress, and lower resilience,” the authors explained.“The emotional state (both positive and negative affect) was determined through the Spanish version of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) questionnaire, which is composed of 20 items, 10 of which refer to the positive affect (PA) subscale (i.e., interested, cheerful or thrilled, energetic, excited, proud or satisfied, willing or free, inspired, determined or daring, attentive or thorough, and active) and the other 10 items refer to the negative affect (NA) subscale (i.e., tense or stressed, upset or annoyed, guilty, scared, angry or furious, irritable or grumpy, embarrassed, nervous, restless, or worried, and scared or afraid).“The overall score was found to be significantly associated with PA (β = 0.018, p = 0.009) and perceived health state (β = 0.192, p &lt; 0.001), mental role (β = 0.346, p &lt; 0.001), and physical activity (β = 0.155, p = 0.007) were found to be predictive factors of positive emotional state.”The study also found a direct significant relationship with consumption of fruit, legumes, and sauté (a sauce including tomato and onion, leek, or garlic and slow-cooked with olive oil) and a significant inverse relationship with the low consumption of red meat, burgers, or other meat products (β = 0.055, p = 0.023) and PA. Further, a low intake of commercial sweets or cakes had a direct and significant relationship with NA (β = 0.080, p = 0.002), with previous studies ratifying that the consumption of commercial sweets or cakes results in episodes of anxiety and emotional stress. A relationship regarding the preference for the consumption of white meats such as poultry or rabbit instead of red meat and the consumption of nuts with NA was also direct and significant - the greater the consumption of these foods, the lower the negative affect. “The results obtained in this study emphasize that adherence to the MD, rather than only the consumption of its isolated components, is associated with emotional well-being. The results presented in this study necessitate future investigations into whether adherence to the MD is not only correlated with but also a causal variable for lower negative affect and greater well-being. If so, the recommendation of MD adherence (and monitoring thereof) could provide an approach to improve the affective experience and the evaluation of the quality life of the population, which would provide benefits beyond well-being,” the authors concluded.Source:
 Nutrients 2020. DOI: <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12061826">10.3390/nu12061826</a>

Parents struggling with home-schooling or supporting the emotional wellbeing of their children and teens may find some help in the recent findings from a Spanish study indicating that following the Mediterranean diet improves emotional wellbeing of students.

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