Association Between Dietary Habits and Depression: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Depression being the psychiatric condition with the highest societal costs in industrialized nations, it is necessary to collect research information on the role of nutrition in depression in order to provide recommendations and guide future health treatment. Observance of healthy dietary practices has been linked to decreased depression symptoms; however, it is unknown whether this is attributable to some or all of the components.The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review of observational and systematic studies analyzing the association between dietary habits and depression in adolescents, adults, and older people. A variety of noncommunicable chronic illnesses and deaths have been linked to dietary and other lifestyle factors such as physical inactivity, cigarette use, and alcohol use.Several studies have found that older people are more likely to be malnourished and depressed, which can hurt their overall health and well-being. Early in life, proper nutrition is suggested as a factor that may have a significant impact on one's mental health. It is critical to identify changes in primary care practices in order to improve the quality of life and prevent complications.The systematic review included papers presenting human studies and published in English until January 2021, analyzing the association between dietary habits and mental health, while we studied a group of people of mixed ages. We included three systematic reviews, three cross-sectional studies, two cohorts, and one meta-analysis. According to the findings of our systematic review of observational studies, observational evidence suggests that both following a healthy diet, in particular incorporating vegetables and fruits, and avoiding a pro-inflammatory diet like junk foods, fast foods, and high meat intake may lower the risk of developing depressive symptoms or clinical depression. As a result, we recommend that the relationship between diet and depression should be investigated in prospective cohorts and randomized controlled studies that are well-designed and have more conclusive evidence regarding dietary involvement and depression.

How are irritability and anhedonia symptoms linked? A network approach

“…Given irritability's prevalence in depression (Fava et al, 2010;Judd et al, 2013;Perlis et al, 2005Perlis et al, , 2009, and fatigue being a MDD diagnostic criterion (American Psychiatric Association, 2022), diminished energy might reduce motivation to make food in individuals with depression. Indeed, depressive symptoms was linked to unhealthy dietary habits and a preference for junk/fast food (Gregório et al, 2017;Selvaraj et al, 2022). The association between irritability and decrease motivation but increase desire for food/drinks rewards suggests that these two hedonic dimensions may be dissociated for the same reward type, suggesting the importance of considering the multiple dimensions of hedonic response when studying reward deficits in MDD.…”

The Role of Water-Soluble Vitamins and Vitamin D in Prevention and Treatment of Depression and Seasonal Affective Disorder in Adults

“…Calcitriol (1,25[OH]2D3) helps to maintain both the number of neurons and the structure of neurons through detoxification mechanisms such as inhibiting inducible nitric oxide synthase synthesis, increasing glutathione levels, and regulating neurotrophin synthesis, all of which are factors influencing the risk of depression. The presence of vitamin D receptors, vitamin D-binding protein (VDBP), and/or the 1-alpha-hydroxylase enzyme, which converts 25(OH)D3 to 1,25(OH)2D3 in the brain, may explain the effect of calcitriol on depression [195]. In this study, 265 individuals (126 males, and 139 females) ages 18-55 were recruited from Tehran, Iran.…”

The Founder: Dispositional Greed, Showbiz, and the Commercial Determinants of Health

“…Although the relationship between mental health and dietary patterns was formerly pushed to the fringes of academic research and clinical care [53], contemporary research has provided multiple mechanistic pathways whereby foods and beverages can influence mental outlook and cognition, as referred to in detail elsewhere [54,55]. Notably, this research also extends to relationships between diet and aggressive behavior and criminality [56][57][58].…”