Eating a Mediterranean diet rich in vegetables, fish, nuts and fruit, could guard against depression, according to scientists.

The study of over 10,000 Spaniards found that people whose diets were more strongly associated with the Mediterranean eating habits were less likely to be diagnosedwith depression during the four and a half years they were followed up.

Researchers from the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Clinic of the University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain said in their report that components of the diet may improve blood vessel function, fight inflammation, reduce risk for heart disease and repair oxygen-related cell damage, all of which may decrease the chances of developing depression.

This follows comments last month from Julie Brealy, health manager at the FitFarms camps in Exmoor and the Peak District, that donning women's fitness wear and taking part in regular exercise can combat seasonal affective disorder (SAD) - a type of winter depression that affects an estimated half a million people every winter.

A spokesperson from SAD.org.uk added: "Continued exercise gives people a feeling of wellbeing and achievement that can help to combat the condition." ADNFCR-2569-ID-19401777-ADNFCR

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