The 7 healthy lifestyle habits most likely to reduce your risk of depression, study finds

A large study found that these factors have a significant influence on the risk of depression and that getting enough sleep makes the biggest difference.

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If you knew there were several healthy habits you could adopt right now to reduce your risk of depression, wouldn’t you be curious about them? According to recent research, even though your DNA makes you more vulnerable to depression, you can make choices in daily life to significantly reduce the risk of developing depression. Knowing that you have some control over this mental health issue is an extremely empowering thing.

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Study explores link between modifiable lifestyle factors and risk of depression

In a 2023 study published in Nature Mental Health, researchers from Fudan University in Shanghai and the University of Cambridge in England looked for the association between participants’ risk of depression and seven specific modifiable factors related to mode of life: alcohol consumption, diet, physical activity, sleep, smoking, sedentary behavior. , and the social bond.

Over a nine-year period, they analyzed health data from the UK Biobank on more than 280,000 adults (average age 58), hoping to identify healthy lifestyle behaviors and, even more, if a combination Among these behaviors, the most associated with a reduced risk of depression.

Ultimately, they concluded: [W]We found that a healthy lifestyle reduced the risk of depression in a population with varying genetic risk. Together, our results suggest that adhering to a healthy lifestyle could contribute to the prevention of depression.

Key lifestyle factors associated with reduced risk of depression

Individually, each healthy habit offered its own significant protection against depression.

• Sleeping seven to nine hours a night reduced the risk by 22%

• No smoking, 20 percent

• Socializing frequently and regularly, 18 percent

• regular exercise and physical activity, according to World Health Organization guidelines, 14 percent, 14 percent

• Not being sedentary, 13 percent

• Drinking, at most, low to moderate levels of alcohol, 11 percent

• Practice healthy eating and nutrition habits (according to the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans), 6 percent

But when combined, the odds seemed even better. The subjects were each given a score of 0 to 7, depending on the number of factors included in their life, and classified into three groups: those with an unfavorable lifestyle (score of 0 to 1), an intermediate lifestyle ( score from 2 to 4). , and a favorable lifestyle (score of 5 to 7).

Not surprisingly, engaging in more behaviors appeared to have cumulative benefits in reducing depression risk. Compared to the unfavorable lifestyle group, an intermediate lifestyle (following two to four of these healthy habits) was associated with a 41 percent lower risk of depression, and a healthy lifestyle (consisting of five to seven habits) was associated with an impressive 57 percent risk. a lower risk of depression.

Related: Being sedentary for more than 10 hours a day is linked to higher risk of dementia, study finds

The researchers also evaluated a subset of participants’ brain scans, noting that brains in the healthy lifestyle group showed important structural markers linked to depression, including greater volume of the orbitofrontal cortex and cortex medial prefrontal, which could suggest improved cognitive control and emotions. regulation. They explain in more detail in the study article that sufficient, consistent, good-quality sleep promotes synaptic plasticity mechanisms in the hippocampus that optimize emotional responses to future behavioral stressors.

Although depression is a complex mental health problem that can be linked to a number of coincidental causes and risk factors, knowing that certain behaviors within our control can provide another defense against this problem is an important step. And it’s even stronger motivation to go for a walk, go to bed on time, avoid drinking and eat your vegetables.

Related: Exercise May Help Fight Depression and Anxiety Even More Than Therapy or Medication, Study Finds

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