Mediterranean diet may reduce or prevent PTSD symptoms, new research shows

A Mediterranean diet that's rich in vegetables, fruits and fish may help reduce or stave off symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, according to research published this week in the journal Nature Mental Health.

The peer-reviewed findings are based on patient data from two studies — one in 2008 and another in 2013 — which collectively involved tens of thousands of female participants. The researchers behind those studies gathered stool samples, as well as information about the women's mental health and dietary habits.

The findings could help inform dietary recommendations for people who are vulnerable to PTSD, such as those serving in the military, said Carol Shively, a pathology professor at Wake Forest University School of Medicine who was not involved in the research.

Shively’s own research has shown that the Mediterranean diet protects against exaggerated stress responses in monkeys.

“When you put that in the context of PTSD, what’s going to happen, I think, is that in response to overt stresses, if you’re consuming a Mediterranean diet, you won’t have these horrific stress responses that can be very damaging,” Shively said.