Want to Feel Less Stressed? Try the Mediterranean Diet

According to new research conducted by a team from Binghamton University, State University of New York, following the Mediterranean diet may help you experience less stress compared to the traditional Western diet.

The findings suggest that people can lower their perception of the amount of stress they can tolerate by following a Mediterranean diet, said Lina Begdache, an associate professor of health and well-being studies.

“Stress is recognized as a precursor to mental stress, and research, including ours, has shown that the Mediterranean diet reduces mental stress,” she said. “So one element of the puzzle may be explained by the fact that the Mediterranean diet may be associated with a reduction in the negative components of perceived stress and an improvement in the positive aspects of it.”

The Mediterranean diet is plant-based with healthy fats and contains mostly healthy foods and a spectrum of natural colors. The diet is in stark contrast to the Western diet, which is known for its high concentration of processed foods with a high glycemic index and low quality.

While the Mediterranean diet is known for its benefits to both mental and physical health, little is known about its effects on stress perception, which is the level of stress you are exposed to at any given time.

To assess this, Begdache and her students conducted a survey of more than 1,500 people, asking them what types of foods they ate and rating their levels of perceived stress. Using a machine learning model, the results show that consuming components of the Mediterranean diet is associated with lower levels of perceived stress and mental distress, while consuming Western diet components is correlated with perceived stress and mental distress.

Begdache said these results fill a gap in the literature, as most studies on diet and stress have focused on how stress affects diet choices and quality. She and her team are looking at different aspects of brain function and behavior in relation to dietary patterns.

The study, “Effects of Mediterranean and Western Dietary Patterns on Perceived Stress and Mental Distress,” was published in Nutrition and health.