Getting informed is a must. But following an adequate media diet was just as appropriate. Those who best resisted the restrictions imposed in the early stages of the pandemic by Covid were in fact those who – in addition to following a healthy and balanced diet at the table – avoided being overwhelmed by information regarding the health emergency. By following these habits, in addition to interacting with friends and cultivating hobbies, it was easier to defend against anxiety and depression.
Conditions strongly increased over the past three years. And from which, in order to protect ourselves, it is now clear that it is necessary to adopt “coping” strategies to help us cope with the situation. Among these, precisely, the attention to the excess of information.
Diet (also digital)
These are the data that emerge from a Spanish study just presented during the congress of the European Society of Neuropsychopharmacology, which ends today in Vienna. The researchers came to these conclusions after recording the habits and observing the psychological health conditions of nearly a thousand adults, interviewed every two weeks, to record the presence of symptoms related to anxiety or a depressive disorder and the attitude to adopt strategies. with which to prevent or cope with these disorders.
With the war and the environmental crisis, mental disorders boom
Analyzing the data collected for over a year, the authors concluded that the most effective protective behaviors were the habit of following a healthy diet (with greater consumption of plant-based foods) and managing the consultation of newspapers, news broadcasts and websites. of information. This latter behavior got out of hand by many during the pandemic. Both in the first three months and, albeit alternately, in the following winters. Periods characterized by greater circulation of the virus and the spread of restrictions aimed at limiting infections.
Long form
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Emotional nutrition and depression
The link between dietary balance and mental health has been under investigation for years. And so far it has allowed a double-stranded relationship to emerge. The consumption of unhealthy foods can, as shown in this work, pave the way for the onset of disorders such as anxiety and depression. A well-known and repeatedly highlighted combination also in Italy, during the pandemic. In a study published in the journal Nutrition, researchers from the Department of Public Health and Pediatric Sciences of the University of Turin have in fact found that those who were prone to eat more as a reaction to concerns related to the pandemic had more frequently developed a form of depression. Women and students were most at risk. But the reverse is also true. In other words, the appearance of these problems almost always leads to a worsening of the diet. A vicious circle which, if not interrupted, can represent a real risk both for physical health (obesity) and for mental health.
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Benefits even after the pandemic?
Diet – both food and media – was found to be more effective in preventing anxiety and depression than other behaviors already known to have this effect. Such as time spent outdoors, in the company of friends, practicing physical activity or cultivating a hobby. A result that surprised the authors themselves, although it does not question the benefits induced by these practices. And that, to put it mildly Joaquim Radua, at the head of the research group that studies the course of anxiety and mood disorders through neuroimaging at the Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute in Barcelona, ”we have studied in relation to the pandemic, but it could be applied to all situations that they cause us particular stress “. An aspect that we will try to clarify through further research.
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