Is there a best diet for depression?

    Written by:
    Louie Neri

    Fact-checked

    by:

    Morgan Pfiffner, Nick Milazzo
    Last Updated: May 16, 2025

    Dietary trends suggest that a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and fish (similar to the Mediterranean diet) may help improve depression symptoms, and reducing the intake of processed meats, refined carbohydrates, and inflammatory foods is also associated with better mental well-being. Although the evidence is not definitive, certain food groups may have an effect on depression.

    Dietary trends appear to emerge across dietary intervention trials investigating changes in depressive symptoms, and several align with the Mediterranean diet. Increases in fruit and vegetables, nuts and seeds, and fish intake appear to be the way to go[1], and that’s not just for[2] depressive symptoms. In addition, decreases in processed meats, refined carbohydrates, and other inflammatory foods[3] have previously been found to be associated with a greater mental well-being. Even though the state of the evidence isn’t ideal, there is some evidence that certain food groups may impact depression.

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    Is there a best diet for depression? - Examine