Diets High in Trans Fats Can Increase the Risk of Depression, While Diets Rich in Olive Oil Can Decrease the Risk

We have known for years that diets high in trans-fats can increase the risk of heart disease, but a new study shows that trans fat rich diets can also boost the risk of depression.


This study involved 12,000 people and showed that participants with elevated levels of trans-fats had a 48% increased risk for depression than their counterparts who consumed diets low in trans fats.

However this study showed that diets rich in olive oil, monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) appear to have a protective effect and lower depression risk.

In fact, participants with an olive oil consumption higher than 20 grams a day (about 0.7 ounces) had a 30% lower risk of depression than those without consumption or with a very low consumption of olive oil,

Study conducted by researcher Almudena Sanchez-Villegas, PhD, associate professor of preventive medicine at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in Las Palmas, Spain.