Association between Fruit and Vegetable Intakes and Mental Health in the Australian Diabetes Obesity and Lifestyle Cohort

Abstract

Increasing prevalence of mental health disorders within the Australian population is a serious public health issue. Adequate intake of fruits and vegetables (FV), dietary fibre (DF) and resistant starch (RS) is associated with better mental and physical health. Few longitudinal studies exist exploring the temporal relationship. Using a validated food frequency questionnaire, we examined baseline FV intakes of 5845 Australian adults from the AusDiab study and estimated food group-derived DF and RS using data from the literature. Perceived mental health was assessed at baseline and 5 year follow up using SF-36 mental component summary scores (MCS). We conducted baseline cross-sectional analysis and prospective analysis of baseline dietary intake with perceived mental health at 5 years. Higher baseline FV and FV-derived DF and RS intakes were associated with better 5 year MCS (p < 0.001). A higher FV intake (754 g/d vs. 251 g/d, Q4 vs. Q1) at baseline had 41% lower odds (OR = 0.59: 95% CI 0.46–0.75) of MCS below population average (<47) at 5 year follow up. Findings were similar for FV-derived DF and RS. An inverse association was observed with discretionary food-derived DF and RS. This demonstrates the association between higher intakes of FV and FV-derived DF and RS with better 5 year mental health outcomes. Further RCTs are necessary to understand mechanisms that underlie this association including elucidation of causal effects.

The Role of Gut Microbiota in Anxiety, Depression, and Other Mental Disorders as Well as the Protective Effects of Dietary Components

“…Many other natural products also played vital roles in the prevention and management of mental disorders through the regulation of gut microbiota, such as fruits, vegetables, and medicinal herbs. A study showed that a higher intake of fruits and vegetables was positively correlated with better mental health based on 5845 Australian adults [ 123 ]. Another cross-sectional study showed that the intake of fruits and vegetables was inversely associated with inattention severity in ADHD children [ 124 ].…”

Quantitative Determination of Short Chain Fatty Acids in Synthetic Feces Using Gas Chromatography with Flame Ionization Detection or Mass Spectrometry

“…Since 2016, students have been quantitatively determining SCFA content in feces using FID and, more recently, mass spectrometry (MS) to enhance their quantitative analysis skills. This experiment arose as a result of research conducted by graduate students and researchers who were monitoring human gut health in response to different dietary interventions. − …”

Liking of salt is associated with depression, anxiety, and stress

“…While the sensory experience of taste influences food choice ( Vink et al 2020 ; Ervina et al 2021 ), there may also be interactions between taste and food substrates that have physiological functions or impacts on mental health. For example, diets associated with poor mental health are typically high in discretionary foods which are also high in sodium ( Rees et al 2021 ). Salt intake has recently been associated with depression and anxiety ( Grippo et al 2006 ; Morris et al 2006 , 2008 , 2010 ; Goldstein and Leshem, 2014 ; Özdemir et al 2014 ; Sawant et al 2019 ; Bojdani et al 2020 ), and correcting low serum sodium levels can improve symptoms of depression ( Sawant et al 2019 ; Bojdani et al 2020 ).…”