The bed is for sex and sleep and nothing else: Dr. Michael Mosley

The challenge has always been demonstrating it as a treatment: many studies do not show that it is effective and the reason is that it is very difficult to get people to eat better and exercise, he says. “It’s hard for all of us and especially when you’re suffering from major depression it makes it that much harder to get people to eat better and exercise more – it doesn’t mean it doesn’t work. The challenge is packaging it in a way that you can get people to do it.”

Davey agrees with his colleagues at the Food and Mood Center, who argue that doctors don’t recommend lifestyle changes enough. “It’s challenging when you have someone in front of you with major depression and they want your help … it’s not an easy conversation, they’re usually thinking about seemingly more pressing things.”

Still, he points out that many healthy, fit people suffer from depression, so it’s not a panacea. “You can see from the number of athletes who talk about depression, they couldn’t get fitter or eat better.”

He says the gut has its own very complex nervous system that uses the same neurochemicals as your brain that are involved in depression. “We also know that one of the factors proving to be a very powerful cause of depression is inflammation, and that good food and exercise have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects that are good for mood. It draws attention to what’s going on in the rest of your body and what’s going on in terms of brain health.”

dr Michael Mosley will be in Brisbane on March 18; Sydney, March 23; Melbourne, March 24; Adelaide, April 1; and Perth, April 4th.