Scientists Identify 7 Lifestyle Factors That Can Lower Your Risk of Depression

Researchers Pinpoint Seven Lifestyle Choices that Significantly Reduce the Risk of Depression

A recent investigation utilizing data from the UK Biobank, which involved close to 290,000 participants, has demonstrated that the adoption of a health-conscious lifestyle, particularly prioritizing quality sleep, markedly diminishes the likelihood of developing depression. This study accentuates that lifestyle choices can often have a more profound impact on depression risk than genetic predispositions, thereby underscoring the importance of overall wellness in maintaining mental health.

The study reveals that a lifestyle characterized by moderate alcohol intake, a balanced diet, consistent physical exercise, quality sleep, and robust social engagement—while avoiding smoking and excessive sedentariness—can mitigate the risk of experiencing depression.

This comprehensive research was published in the academic journal Nature Mental Health. It involved an international consortium of scientists from institutions such as the University of Cambridge and Fudan University. The team investigated an array of variables, including lifestyle choices, genetics, brain structure, as well as immune and metabolic systems, to discern the underlying mechanisms accounting for this relationship.

According to estimates from the World Health Organization, approximately one in 20 adults is afflicted by depression, a condition that imposes a considerable public health burden globally. The etiological factors contributing to depression are multifaceted, encompassing both biological and lifestyle elements.

Data Source and Principal Conclusions

To delve deeper into the interplay between these variables and depression, researchers accessed the UK Biobank, a biomedical repository that contains anonymized data on genetics, lifestyle, and health. By scrutinizing data collected over a nine-year span from nearly 290,000 individuals—13,000 of whom were diagnosed with depression—the research team identified seven lifestyle factors associated with a reduced risk of depression, namely:

• Moderate alcohol consumption
• Balanced diet
• Consistent physical exercise
• Quality sleep
• Abstinence from smoking
• Limited sedentary behavior
• Strong social ties

Among these, quality sleep—defined as between seven and nine hours per night—was found to be the most impactful, reducing the risk of various forms of depression by 22%. Consistent social engagement followed, reducing depression risk by 18%.

Further breakdown of the data revealed that moderate alcohol consumption could lower depression risk by 11%, a balanced diet by 6%, consistent physical activity by 14%, not smoking by 20%, and limited sedentary behavior by 13%.

Participants were categorized into three lifestyle groups based on their adherence to these healthy habits: unfavorable, intermediate, and favorable. The intermediate lifestyle group had a 41% lower risk of developing depression compared to the unfavorable group, while the favorable lifestyle group had a 57% reduced risk.

Genetics Versus Lifestyle

The researchers also assessed the genetic risk scores of participants, calculated based on the presence of genetic variants known to be linked with depression. They found that those with the lowest genetic risk had a 25% reduced chance of developing depression, compared to those with the highest genetic risk—a significantly lesser impact than lifestyle factors.

Even among individuals with varying levels of genetic risk for depression, it was observed that a health-conscious lifestyle can notably curtail the risk. This underlines the pivotal role of lifestyle choices in mitigating depression risk, irrespective of one’s genetic predispositions.

Underlying Mechanisms Explored

To comprehend the mechanisms through which a healthy lifestyle could curb depression risk, the team examined MRI brain scans from nearly 33,000 participants. They found associations between a healthy lifestyle and larger volumes in specific brain regions such as the pallidum, thalamus, amygdala, and hippocampus.

Additionally, blood markers indicative of immune system or metabolic issues, such as C-reactive protein and triglycerides, were linked to lifestyle factors. These correlations corroborate previous research that shows stress, poor physical activity, and inadequate sleep can undermine the body’s stress response, immune function, and metabolic health, thereby elevating depression risk.

The study received financial support from various organizations, including the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Ministry of Science, China.

Reference: “The brain structure, immunometabolic and genetic mechanisms underlying the association between lifestyle and depression” by Yujie Zhao et al., published on 11 September 2023 in Nature Mental Health.
DOI: 10.1038/s44220-023-00120-1

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More about lifestyle factors and depression risk

• Nature Mental Health Journal
• UK Biobank Database
• World Health Organization: Depression
• National Natural Science Foundation of China
• Ministry of Science and Technology, China
• University of Cambridge Department of Psychiatry
• Fudan University