Depression (2)

Depression is a common mental disorder. Approximately 280 million people in the world have depression.

Depression is about 50% more common among women than among men.

In a new study published on 11 September 2023 in the journal, Nature Mental Health, researchers from the University of Cambridge and Fudan University, identified seven healthy lifestyle factors that are protective against depression.

The seven factors investigated were:

smoking, diet, exercise level, sleep, sedentary behaviour, social connectedness, alcohol consumption

The study found that having a healthy lifestyle reduced the risk of depression by 57%. 

Of the seven lifestyle factors observed, healthy sleep had the greatest impact on depression risk, decreasing it by 22%.

Numerous studies have noted an association between the consumption of omega-3 fatty acids and improved sleep quality and duration. 

As the body can't produce omega-3s on its own, diet (either food or a supplement) is the only delivery system for it.

Vitamin D also plays an important role in maintaining healthy sleep. 

Research found that people with low vitamin D had poorer quality and quantity of rest than those with adequate levels.

Magnesium can help people relax and allow the natural sleep process to take over. 

In a study, those given 500 mg of magnesium daily for eight weeks dozed off 12 minutes faster, stayed asleep 36 minutes longer and had fewer early morning awakenings than usual.

References:

Bloch, M. H., & Hannestad, J. (2012). Omega-3 fatty acids for the treatment of depression: systematic review and meta-analysis. Molecular psychiatry, 17(12), 1272-1282. 

Eby, G. A., & Eby, K. L. (2006). Rapid recovery from major depression using magnesium treatment. Medical hypotheses, 67(2), 362-370.

Gao, Q., Kou, T., Zhuang, B., Ren, Y., Dong, X., & Wang, Q. (2018). The association between vitamin D deficiency and sleep disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrients, 10(10), 1395.

Zhao, Y., Yang, L., Sahakian, B. J., Langley, C., Zhang, W., Kuo, K., ... & Cheng, W. (2023). The brain structure, immunometabolic and genetic mechanisms underlying the association between lifestyle and depression. Nature Mental Health, 1-15.