A diet rich in vegetables, fruits, and fish may help reduce or prevent symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), reports NBC News.
The study, conducted by researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital and the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health and published in Nature Mental Health, found that women who followed a Mediterranean diet experienced fewer PTSD symptoms compared to those who didn't adhere to the dietary pattern.
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"When you put that in the context of PTSD, what's going to happen, I think, is that in response to overt stresses, if you're consuming a Mediterranean diet, you won't have these horrific stress responses that can be very damaging," said Carol Shively, a pathology professor at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, who was not involved in the research.
The peer-reviewed findings drew from two earlier studies conducted in 2008 and 2013, analyzing data from tens of thousands of female participants. For their analysis, researchers selected 191 women: 44 with PTSD symptoms, 119 who had experienced trauma but no PTSD symptoms, and 28 who had experienced neither.
The research team found that plant-based foods showed a negative correlation with PTSD symptoms, while red and processed meats were positively associated with such symptoms. The study's findings could help inform dietary recommendations for people at higher risk of PTSD, such as military service members, according to researchers.
Around 4% of the global population has experienced PTSD in their lifetime, according to the study. The condition develops in certain individuals who have experienced or witnessed traumatic events such as severe injuries, violence, or deaths.
"Many people get exposed to trauma, but only a small percentage go on to develop PTSD. It's always been a bit of a mystery," said Christopher Lowry, an associate professor of integrative physiology at the University of Colorado, Boulder, who was not involved in the research.
Yang-Yu Liu, the study's author and associate professor at Harvard Medical School, identified a specific species of gut bacteria that appeared to be linked to both the Mediterranean diet and protection against PTSD symptoms. "Maybe those enriched components of a Mediterranean diet help this particular bug thrive in the gut environment," said Liu, who is also an associate scientist at Brigham and Women's Hospital.
Lowry, however, expressed caution about attributing benefits to specific gut bacteria until additional studies replicate the results. He suggested that the Mediterranean diet's anti-inflammatory effects might be the key factor in alleviating or preventing PTSD symptoms. "The Mediterranean diet predominantly has an anti-inflammatory effect, and we have known for decades now that inflammation is a risk factor for depression," Lowry said. "Now it's become clear that it's also a risk factor for PTSD."
Several studies have suggested that elevated levels of inflammation may play a role in the development of PTSD. Research indicates that processed foods can increase gut permeability, allowing bacteria to enter the bloodstream and potentially affecting brain function through inflammation that travels from the blood to the central nervous system.
