Depression can be prevented through a healthy lifestyle, find out why

New research shows that adopting a healthy lifestyle—moderate alcohol consumption, a proper diet, regular exercise, adequate sleep, and frequent social connections—reduces depression, while avoiding smoking and sedentary behavior.

Depression affects approximately one in every 20 adults and has a significant negative impact on public health globally. It is difficult to pinpoint the precise biological and environmental factors that contribute to the development of depression.

Key Lifestyle Factors to Lower Depression Risk: Insights from the UK Biobank Study

The UK Biobank, a biological database with anonymized genetic, lifestyle, and health information, provided researchers with valuable insights into the connection between these characteristics and mental health. Moreover, it helped clarify the relationship between lifestyle factors and mental well-being.

By analyzing data from nearly 290,000 individuals, including 13,000 with mental health conditions, over nine years, the team identified seven lifestyle factors associated with a lower risk of mental health issues:

• moderate alcohol consumption
• healthy diet
• regular physical activity
• healthy sleep
• never smoking
• low-to-moderate sedentary behavior
• frequent social connection

Sleeping well—between seven and nine hours each night—had the most significant impact, reducing the risk of depression, including single depressive episodes and treatment-resistant depression, by 22%.

Regular social contact was the best defense against recurrent depressive disorder, lowering the risk of depression by 18%.

How a Healthy Lifestyle Outperforms Genetics in Reducing Depression Risk

Low to moderate sedentary behavior reduced risk by 13%, a healthy diet by 6%, regular exercise by 14%, never smoking by 20%, and moderate alcohol consumption by 11%.

Individuals were categorized into three groups—unfavorable, intermediate, or favorable—based on how many healthy lifestyle factors they followed. Compared to people with unfavorable lifestyles, those in the intermediate group were about 41% less likely to experience depression, while those with favorable lifestyles were 57% less likely.

The team then performed a genetic risk assessment by examining DNA. The score was based on the number of genetic variations linked to higher depression risk. Compared to high genetic risk scores, low scores had a 25% lower risk, but lifestyle had a greater impact.

The study found that a healthy lifestyle reduces depression risk for individuals regardless of their genetic risk level, emphasizing the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle regardless of genetic predispositions.

Healthy Lifestyle Trumps Genetics: How Lifestyle Impacts Brain Health and Depression Risk

Professor Barbara Sahakian stated that while DNA affects depression risk, a healthy lifestyle may be even more crucial. “Controllable lifestyle factors like good sleep and socializing can significantly impact lives, so improving them is vital.”

They analyzed MRI scans from nearly 33,000 participants and found larger brain volumes linked to a healthy lifestyle. These included the thalamus, hippocampus, amygdala, and pallidum.

The team searched blood markers to identify immune system or metabolism issues affecting food processing and energy creation. The body produces C-reactive protein in response to stress, with triglycerides linked to lifestyle among discovered markers.

How Lifestyle Choices Impact Immunity, Metabolism, and Mental Health

Several earlier studies have provided evidence for these connections. For example, stress impairs blood sugar control, weakens immune function, and accelerates cellular and molecular aging.

Insufficient exercise and sleep can harm the body’s capacity to react to stress. Furthermore, evidence shows that loneliness and a lack of social support raise immune-deficiency markers and increase the risk of infection.

The research team discovered that the most significant relationship between lifestyle and immune and metabolic processes existed.

In other words, a poor lifestyle harms immune and metabolic systems, increasing the risk of developing depression.