Biological Role of Nutrients, Food and Dietary Patterns in the Prevention and Clinical Management of Major Depressive Disorder

Abstract

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a growing disabling condition affecting around 280 million people worldwide. This complex entity is the result of the interplay between biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors, and compelling evidence suggests that MDD can be considered a disease that occurs as a consequence of an evolutionary mismatch and unhealthy lifestyle habits. In this context, diet is one of the core pillars of health, influencing multiple biological processes in the brain and the entire body. It seems that there is a bidirectional relationship between MDD and malnutrition, and depressed individuals often lack certain critical nutrients along with an aberrant dietary pattern. Thus, dietary interventions are one of the most promising tools to explore in the field of MDD, as there are a specific group of nutrients (i.e., omega 3, vitamins, polyphenols, and caffeine), foods (fish, nuts, seeds fruits, vegetables, coffee/tea, and fermented products) or dietary supplements (such as S-adenosylmethionine, acetyl carnitine, creatine, amino acids, etc.), which are being currently studied. Likewise, the entire nutritional context and the dietary pattern seem to be another potential area of study, and some strategies such as the Mediterranean diet have demonstrated some relevant benefits in patients with MDD; although, further efforts are still needed. In the present work, we will explore the state-of-the-art diet in the prevention and clinical support of MDD, focusing on the biological properties of its main nutrients, foods, and dietary patterns and their possible implications for these patients.

O Uso Da Cafeína Na Terapia Nutricional De Paciente Com Depressão

“…Os nutrientes entram no processo metabólico normal da célula também na forma de substrato para reações bioenergéticas, produzindo energia para contrabalançar a entropia ou na forma de cofator para as reações anabólicas e catabólicas. Os fármacos, por sua vez, geralmente participam de reações que resultam na modificação química, na atividade farmacológica e na sua excreção 24,25 .…”

Phenolic Acids as Antidepressant Agents

“…The individual’s nutritional status has been associated with different neurological disorders, such as depression [ 119 ]. Its importance is related to several studies that have shown a relationship between dietary patterns and depression, where a diet poor in certain nutrients may correlate with a higher incidence of the disease [ 120 , 121 , 122 , 123 ].…”

“…The dietary pattern of patients with depressive disorder is often composed of a low intake of protein and high-quality fats, excessive consumption of proinflammatory foods such as sugars, refined flours, low-quality fats, sugary drinks, and sweets [ 121 , 124 ], which have been shown to correlate with the occurrence of depressive symptoms [ 125 ].…”

Dietary Fats and Depressive Symptoms in Italian Adults

“…This increased interest in the role of nutrition on mental health has given rise to “nutrition psychiatry”, which studies how dietary patterns but also individual foods, macro/micronutrients and bioactive compounds are related to mental disorders [ 12 , 13 ]. For example, lower levels of calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, vitamin D, and many of the B vitamins are typically found in subjects with depression [ 14 ], and lower levels of potassium, phosphorus, and copper are associated with the severity of symptoms [ 15 ]. Beverages, like tea and coffee, as well as their bioactive compounds, have been shown to exert neuroprotective effects by reducing the risk of brain disorders [ 16 , 17 , 18 ].…”