Mediterranean Diet Lifted Mental Well-Being in 3,000 Older Adults During COVID-19
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jul 15
Mediterranean Diet Lifted Mental Well-Being in 3,000 Older Adults During COVID-19
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 15
Summary
More than 3,000 adults in England aged 50 to 90 who more closely followed a Mediterranean diet reported stronger psychological well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a BMJ Open study.
The benefit persisted after researchers adjusted for income, education, exercise, smoking and physical health, and was not explained by calorie intake, pointing to food type rather than quantity.
Lockdowns lowered happiness and emotional well-being across the whole group, but the decline was less severe among participants whose eating patterns most closely matched the Mediterranean diet.
Researchers and outside nutrition experts said anti-inflammatory nutrients such as omega-3s and olive-oil polyphenols, along with gut-microbiome effects, could help explain the link.
The study was observational and relied on self-reported diet data from only two days, while participants who completed tracking were generally healthier and wealthier, limiting how broadly the findings apply.