In a study undertaken to understand how food habits affect your mental health, researchers found that a poor diet may worsen mood disorders like anxiety and depression. IT is considered as the most up to date overview confirming that certain foods can influence mental health.

Mediterranean diet, rich in vegetables and olive oil, shows mental health benefits by offering protection against depression and anxiety. While certain foods are associated with specific mental health conditions, the researchers said, little is known about why a diet involving them causes this effect.

Citing an example of how some foods may improve mental health, the researchers said nutrition in the womb and in early life can have significant effects on brain function later in life. The reason for determining dietary effects on mental health in adults is difficult to detect because these effects are fairly small in nature.