A Healthy Lifestyle May Help Prevent Depression, and New Research Delves into the Underlying Reasons
Recent research has revealed that adopting a healthy lifestyle involving moderate alcohol consumption, a balanced diet, regular physical activity, quality sleep, and frequent social interaction, while refraining from smoking and excessive sedentary behavior, can lower the risk of depression.
Published in Nature Mental Health, an international team of researchers, including those from the University of Cambridge and Fudan University, examined a combination of elements encompassing lifestyle choices, genetics, brain structure, and our immune and metabolic systems to uncover potential mechanisms explaining this relationship.
The Weight of Depression on Global Public Health
Depression, a condition affecting around one in 20 adults, carries a substantial global public health burden according to the World Health Organization. The onset of depression is influenced by intricate factors, comprising a mix of biological and lifestyle components.
To gain deeper insights into the connection between these factors and depression, the researchers turned to the UK Biobank, a comprehensive biomedical database and research resource housing anonymized genetic, lifestyle, and health data from its participants.
Analyzing data from nearly 290,000 individuals, including 13,000 with depression, monitored over a nine-year span, the research team pinpointed seven healthy lifestyle factors associated with a reduced risk of depression. These factors encompass:
- Moderate alcohol consumption
- A balanced diet
- Regular physical activity
- Quality sleep
- Never smoking
- Low-to-moderate sedentary behavior
- Frequent social interaction
Among these factors, achieving a restorative night’s sleep, ranging from seven to nine hours nightly, had the most significant impact. It lowered the risk of depression, including both single depressive episodes and treatment-resistant depression, by 22%.
Frequent social connection, which, in general, reduced the risk of depression by 18%, proved to be particularly effective against recurrent depressive disorder.
Moderate alcohol consumption was associated with an 11% decrease in the risk of depression, a healthy diet reduced the risk by 6%, regular physical activity by 14%, never smoking by 20%, and low-to-moderate sedentary behavior by 13%.
Lifestyle Categories and Their Impact on Depression Risk
Participants were categorized into one of three groups (unfavorable, intermediate, and favorable lifestyle) based on the number of healthy lifestyle factors they embraced. Those in the intermediate group had a roughly 41% lower likelihood of developing depression compared to those in the unfavorable lifestyle group, while individuals in the favorable lifestyle group had a 57% lower likelihood.
The researchers also assessed the participants’ DNA, assigning them a genetic risk score determined by the number of genetic variations linked to depression risk. Those with the lowest genetic risk score had a 25% lower chance of developing depression compared to those with the highest score, signifying a considerably smaller impact than lifestyle factors.
The Universal Importance of a Healthy Lifestyle in Preventing Depression
Importantly, regardless of an individual’s genetic risk, a healthy lifestyle was shown to reduce the risk of depression in those with high, medium, and low genetic predispositions. This underscores the significance of adopting a healthy lifestyle in depression prevention.
Professor Barbara Sahakian from the University of Cambridge’s Department of Psychiatry emphasized, “While our genetics can elevate our risk of depression, our study demonstrates that a healthy lifestyle potentially plays a more crucial role. Some of these lifestyle factors are within our control, so making efforts to improve them – such as ensuring adequate sleep and fostering social connections – could significantly improve people’s lives.”
The research team also delved into additional factors to understand why a healthy lifestyle may lower the risk of depression.
Brain Volume and Its Link to a Healthy Lifestyle
Initially, the researchers conducted an analysis of MRI brain scans from nearly 33,000 participants, revealing several brain regions where a larger volume, indicative of more neurons and connections, was associated with a healthy lifestyle. These regions encompassed the pallidum, thalamus, amygdala, and hippocampus.
Subsequently, the team examined blood markers signaling issues with the immune system and metabolism, factors related to how the body processes food and generates energy. Markers tied to lifestyle included C-reactive protein, a molecule produced in response to stress, and triglycerides, a primary form of fat used by the body for energy storage.
Stress, Physical Activity, Sleep, and Social Factors in Depression Risk
These connections align with previous research findings. For instance, exposure to life-related stress can disrupt blood sugar regulation, potentially leading to immune function impairment and accelerated age-related cellular and molecular damage. Inadequate physical activity and sleep can compromise the body’s stress response, while social isolation and a lack of support have been associated with an increased risk of infection and elevated markers of immune deficiency.
The most prominent pathway identified was from lifestyle to immune and metabolic functions. Essentially, an unhealthy lifestyle can negatively impact the immune system and metabolism, subsequently heightening the risk of depression.
Dr. Christelle Langley, also from the University of Cambridge’s Department of Psychiatry, emphasized, “We typically think of a healthy lifestyle as vital for our physical health, but it is equally critical for our mental well-being. It not only benefits our brain health and cognition but also indirectly supports a healthier immune system and improved metabolism.”
Professor Jianfeng Feng, from Fudan University and Warwick University, added, “Considering that depression can onset as early as in adolescence or young adulthood, educating young individuals on the significance of a healthy lifestyle and its influence on mental health should commence within educational institutions.”
This research received funding from organizations such as the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Ministry of Science, China.
Read the original article on: Science Daily
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