Associations between long-term adherence to healthy diet and recurrent depressive symptoms in Whitehall II Study

Mediterranean diet-based intervention to improve depressive symptoms: analysis of the PREDIDEP randomized trial

BACKGROUND

The effect of an intervention based on Mediterranean diet on reducing recurrence risk or subsyndromal depressive symptoms in recovered depressed patients has not been explored.

METHODS

The PREDIDEP study was a two-year randomized trial designed to assess the effect of the Mediterranean Diet enriched with extra virgin olive oil on depression recurrence. At baseline and at four, eight, 16, 20, and 24 months of follow-up, depressive symptoms were evaluated through the Beck Depression inventory. Cox regression analysis was fitted to assess the role of dietary intervention on the risk of depression recurrence. Mixed effects linear models were used to assess changes in depressive subsyndromal symptoms according to the intervention.

RESULTS

After two years of intervention, the dietary intervention group (n = 103) compared to the control group (n = 93) showed no differences regarding depression recurrence risk as main outcome. As secondary outcomes, an improvement of depressive symptoms was yielded at four (-2.15; 95% CI = -4.00 to -0.29) and eight months (-2.42; 95% CI = -4.17 to -0.67) in the intervention group, with no changes in control group. Moreover, at 20 months, significant differences were found between groups (-3.35; 95% CI = -6.08 to -0.61).

CONCLUSIONS

An intervention with Mediterranean diet in patients with previous depressive episodes might contribute to the reduction of depressive subsyndromal symptoms.

Palm oil as part of a high-fat diet: advances and challenges, or possible risks of pathology?

Nutritional status disorders have the most significant impact on the development of cardiovascular and oncologic diseases; therefore, the interest in the study of palm oil as among the leading components of nutrition has been increasing. The data examined in this review were sourced from the Scopus, SCIE (Web of Science), PubMed and PubMed Central, MEDLINE, CAPlus/SciFinder, and Embase databases; experts in the field; bibliographies; and abstracts from review analyses from the past 15 years. This review summarizes recent research data focusing on the quantitative and qualitative composition of nutrition of modern humans; concepts of the relationship between high-fat diets and disorders of insulin functioning and transport and metabolism of fatty acids; analyses of data regarding the palmitic acid (16:0) to oleic acid (18:1) ratio; and the effect of diet based on palm oil consumption on cardiovascular risk factors and lipid and lipoprotein levels. Several studies suggest a potential vector contributing to the transmission of maternal, high-fat-diet-induced, addictive-like behaviors and obesogenic phenotypes across generations. The relationship between cholesterol accumulation in lysosomes that may lead to lysosome dysfunction and inhibition of the autophagy process is analyzed, as is the progression of inflammatory diseases, atherosclerosis, nonalcoholic liver inflammation, and obesity with associated complications. Data are discussed from analyses of differences between rodent models and human population studies in the investigated different effects of palm oil consumption as a high-fat diet component. A conclusion is reached that the results cannot be generalized in human population studies because no similar effects were observed. Although there are numerous published reports, more studies are necessary to elucidate the complex regulatory mechanisms in digestive and nutrition processes, because there are great differences in lipoprotein profiles between rodents and humans, which makes it difficult to reproduce the pathology of many diseases caused by different types of the high-fat diet.

Association between ultra-processed foods and recurrence of depressive symptoms: the Whitehall II cohort study

OBJECTIVES

To examine the association between high intakes of ultra-processed foods (UPF) and recurrence of depressive symptoms (DepS) in a Western non-Mediterranean country and its contribution to the overall diet-depression relationship.

METHODS

Analyses were carried out on British participants from the Whitehall II cohort. Present analyses were restricted to white participants N = 4554 (74% men, mean age = 61; SD = 5.9). UPF consumption was estimated from a 127-item food frequency questionnaire using the NOVA classification, and cumulative average of UPF intakes (g/day) over 11 years of exposure (1991/1994-2002/2004) was computed. Recurrent DepS after measurement of UPF was defined as having two or more episodes of DepS (the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) score ≥ 16 or antidepressants use) during four phases of follow-up (2002/2004-2015/2016).

RESULTS

Over the follow-up, 588 (12.9%) cases of recurrent DepS were observed. After adjusting for socio-demographic factors, health behaviours and health status, participants in top quintile of UPF intakes [mean 33% of total daily intakes in grams] had 31% higher odds of recurrent DepS (odds ratio 1.31; 95% CI 1.04-1.64) compared to participants in the four lowest quintiles of UPF [mean 18.1% of total daily intakes in grams]. Additional analyses showed that associations between adherence to several diet quality measures and recurrent DepS were partially attenuated (17-27%) by UPF intakes.

CONCLUSION

In this British population, high intakes of ultra-processed foods were associated with increased odds of recurrent depressive symptoms and contributed to the overall diet quality-depressive symptoms association.

Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet and mental well-being: a systematic review

CONTEXT

The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet is one of the most commonly prescribed diets for preventing and controlling hypertension. However, the relationship between the DASH diet and mental health and well-being has yet to be systematically understood.

OBJECTIVE

To fill this gap, the present review systematically examined the current literature on the association between the DASH diet and mental health.

DATA SOURCES

The Web of Science, PsycINFO, and PubMed databases were systematically searched to identify eligible publications up to May 2021. Interventional and observational studies published in English allowing for inferences about mental well-being were included.

DATA EXTRACTION

Two authors independently assessed the quality of reviewed studies using the NIH quality assessment tool and extracted qualitative data. Conflicts were adjudicated by the senior author.

DATA ANALYSIS

A total of 16 studies involving 48 824 participants were included in the final review: Ten were observational studies and 6 were randomized controlled trials. On average, the methodological quality of the studies was medium strength. Mixed results on psychological measures were reported, but in general, the DASH diet was associated with better mental well-being. Five observational studies supported a negative association between adherence to the DASH diet and depressive symptoms/depression. Four randomized controlled trials provided evidence of the beneficial effects of the DASH diet on mental health, including quality of life and emotional symptoms.

CONCLUSION

The DASH diet likely has positive effects on mental well-being, but the results were inconsistent across different studies, which might be likely due to differences in methods of assessments of the DASH diet and mental health outcomes. Well-powered randomized controlled trials with mental well-being as the primary outcome are needed in the future.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION

PROSPERO registration no. CRD42021267667.

The association between a priori dietary patterns and psychological disorders in military personnel

BACKGROUND

Studies have identified a high prevalence of poor mental health, including depression, anxiety, and stress in military occupations. A low quality diet is one of the potential factors related to mental disorders. This study aimed to investigate the association of a priori dietary patterns, including dietary approach to stop hypertension (DASH), the Mediterranean diet (MD), dietary inflammatory index (DII), and healthy eating index-2015 (HEI-2015) with the odds of depression, anxiety, and stress in military staff.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was performed on a total of 400 military staff, aged 38.67 ± 5.22 (ranging from 30 to 60) years, recruited from Iranian military centers. The dietary intake of participants and adherence to the DASH, MD, DII, and HEI-2015 was measured using a 168-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Mental health was evaluated with the use of the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale - 21 (DASS-21).

RESULTS

The prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress was 64.5%, 63.2%, and 61.3%, respectively. Individuals with the highest adherence to HEI-2015, compared to those with the lowest adherence, were significantly at lower odds of anxiety (OR = 0.51, 95%CI: 0.27-0.96, p = 0.03), while higher adherence to DII was related to a 2.74-fold increased odds of anxiety (OR = 2.74, 95%CI: 1.06-7.04, p = 0.03). Compared to those with the lowest adherence (quartile 1), quartile 2 of the HEI-2015 was associated with decreased odds of stress (p = 0.04). No association was identified between dietary patterns and depression.

CONCLUSION

Greater adherence to HEI-2015 and lower adherence to DII are associated with lower odds of anxiety in military staff.

The Association between Vegan, Vegetarian, and Omnivore Diet Quality and Depressive Symptoms in Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study

Dietary patterns and depressive symptoms are associated in cross-sectional and prospective-designed research. However, limited research has considered depression risk related to meat-based and plant-based dietary patterns. This study explores the association between diet quality and depressive symptoms across omnivore, vegan, and vegetarian dietary patterns. A cross-sectional online survey utilised the Dietary Screening Tool (DST) and the Centre for Epidemiological Studies of Depression Scale (CESD-20) to measure diet quality and depressive symptoms, respectively. A total of 496 participants identified as either omnivores (n = 129), vegetarians (n = 151), or vegans (n = 216). ANOVA with Bonferroni post hoc corrections indicates that dietary quality was significantly different between groups F(2, 493) = 23.61, p < 0.001 for omnivores and vegetarians and omnivores and vegans. Diet quality was highest in the vegan sample, followed by vegetarian and omnivore patterns. The results show a significant, moderately negative relationship between higher diet quality and lower depressive symptoms (r = -0.385, p < 0.001) across groups. Hierarchical regression showed that diet quality accounted for 13% of the variability in depressive symptoms for the omnivore sample, 6% for vegetarians, and 8% for vegans. This study suggests that diet quality in a meat-based or plant-based diet could be a modifiable lifestyle factor with the potential to reduce the risk of depressive symptoms. The study indicates a greater protective role of a high-quality plant-based diet and lower depressive symptoms. Further intervention research is needed to understand the bi-directional relationship between diet quality and depressive symptoms across dietary patterns.

Self-reported ongoing adherence to diet is associated with lower depression, fatigue, and disability, in people with multiple sclerosis

Introduction

Increasingly, dietary improvements have been shown to have positive associations with health outcomes in people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). However, adhering to a MS-specific or high-quality diet may be a challenge. We therefore assessed the level of diet-adherence necessary to improve health outcomes of depression, fatigue, and disability.

Methods

Data from an international population of pwMS followed over 7.5 years (n = 671) were analyzed. Self-reported diet quality via diet habits questionnaire (DHQ), and adherence to six MS-diets [Ashton Embry Best Bet, McDougall, Overcoming MS (OMS), Paleolithic (Paleo), Swank, and Wahls] were queried at two timepoints. Four levels of diet adherence were assessed: non-adherence at either timepoint; ceased at second timepoint; commenced at second timepoint; and ongoing at both timepoints. Associations between adherence to OMS and high-quality diet (DHQ score > median) with depression, fatigue, and disability, were assessed by log-binomial regression models adjusted for confounders.

Results

Forty-two percent of pwMS reported ongoing-adherence to a MS-diet at both timepoints, OMS (33%), Swank (4%), Wahls (1.5%), other (<1%). Of these, only OMS-diet adherence was analyzed for associations due to data availability. Ongoing-adherence to the OMS-diet or a high-quality diet, was associated with lower depression compared to non-adherence [OMS: Risk ratios (RR) = 0.80, p = 0.021; DHQ: RR = 0.78, p = 0.009] and ceased-adherence (OMS: RR = 0.70, p = 0.008; DHQ: RR = 0.70, p = 0.010), respectively. Ongoing-adherence to OMS-diet was associated with lower fatigue (RR = 0.71, p = 0.031) and lower severe disability (RR = 0.43, p = 0.033) compared to ceased-adherence.

Conclusion

Results suggest potential benefits of adherence to the OMS- or a high-quality diet on MS health outcomes, with ongoing-adherence likely best. Diet modification and maintenance may serve as a point of intervention to manage MS symptoms, especially depression, in pwMS.

The relationship between the Mediterranean diet and Axis I disorders: A systematic review of observational studies

Axis I disorders are one of the major health burdens worldwide. Evidence suggests that Mediterranean diet has key biological factors associated with reducing the progression of these disorders. This systematic review aimed to clarify the relationship between Mediterranean diet and Axis I disorders. PubMed and Scopus databases were searched from January 2016 up to June 2021. Those observational studies in English language that assessed the relationship between Mediterranean diet and Axis I disorders (such as depression, anxiety, eating disorders, schizophrenia, etc.) were included in this review. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to evaluate the quality of studies. Thirty-six studies (15 cohorts, 19 cross-sectional, and 2 case-control) met the inclusion criteria. The results revealed that more than two-thirds of the studies (25 studies, 69.44%) had significant protective relationship between receiving Mediterranean diet and reducing the symptoms or incidence of Axis I disorders. Most studies were performed on depression (29 studies measured depression at least as one of the Axis I disorders), of which 72.41% reported an inverse relationship. There were also 9 studies on anxiety (studies that measured anxiety at least as one of the Axis I disorders), that 77.77% of them observed protective association. Moreover, majority of the studies (25 studies, 69.44%) had high quality, of which 76% found an inverse relationship. In conclusion, it seems that the Mediterranean diet can reduce the symptoms or the occurrence of Axis I disorders (especially depression and anxiety). However, more extensive review studies, particularly with interventional designs, are necessary to prove the result.

The consumption of wholegrain is related to depressive symptoms among Chinese adults: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Wholegrains contribute a range of beneficial nutrients, such as dietary fiber and several minerals and vitamins, that are beneficial to depressive symptoms. However, there are a few studies aimed at exploring whether a wholegrain diet is related to depressive symptoms. We conducted this study to investigate the relationship between wholegrains consumption and depressive symptoms.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study included a total of 24,776 (mean age: 39.9 years, age range: 18.1-91.3 years; males, 54.1%) inhabitants living in Tianjin, China. Wholegrains consumption was assessed using a valid self-administered food frequency questionnaire. Depressive symptoms were evaluated using the Chinese version of Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) and the cutoff point was set at 45. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the relationship between wholegrains consumption and depressive symptoms.

RESULTS

The prevalence of depressive symptoms was 19.1% and 22.4% in males and females, respectively. After adjustments for potential confounding factors, the odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) of depressive symptoms across wholegrains consumption were 0.77 (0.65-0.91) for <1 time/week, 0.73 (0.62-0.86) for 1 time/week and 0.68 (0.59-0.79) for ≥2 time/week in males compared with the control group (almost never). In females, the odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) were 0.86 (0.71-1.04) for <1 time/week, 0.94 (0.78-1.13) for 1 time/week, and 0.76 (0.65-0.91) for ≥2 time/week. Similar results were observed when we use other cut-offs (SDS ≥ 40 and 50) to define depressive symptoms.

CONCLUSION

This study first demonstrated that the higher consumption of wholegrains might have effects on the prevention and improvement of depressive symptoms. Prospective or intervention studies are needed to confirm these findings.

The Mediterranean diet and menopausal health: An EMAS position statement

INTRODUCTION

Globally, 985 million women are aged 50 and over, leading to increasing concerns about chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, dementia, and cognitive decline, which can adversely affect quality of life and independent living.

AIM

To evaluate the evidence from observational studies and randomized trials on the effects of the Mediterranean diet on short- and long-term menopausal health: estrogen deficiency symptoms, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, cognitive and mental health, breast cancer, and all-cause mortality.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Literature review and consensus of expert opinion.

SUMMARY RECOMMENDATIONS

The Mediterranean diet is a non-restrictive dietary pattern common in the olive-growing areas of the Mediterranean basin. It may improve vasomotor symptoms, cardiovascular risk factors such as blood pressure, cholesterol and blood glucose levels, as well as mood and symptoms of depression. Long-term adherence may: improve cardiovascular risk and events, and death; improve bone mineral density; prevent cognitive decline; and reduce the risk of breast cancer and all-cause mortality.

Mediterranean diet and health: A systematic review of epidemiological studies and intervention trials

Diet is a crucial variable for a healthy life. A rapidly growing number of studies in recent years support the hypothesis that the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) has a beneficial effect on certain body systems, but the highly varied objectives and quality of these publications warrants an updated assessment. In the present review we performed a comprehensive evaluation of current evidence on the impact of the MedDiet on human health, assessing its effect on the incidence or progression of the main non-communicable diseases and their intermediate outcomes and risk factors. We scrutinised the clinical evidence from observational studies and randomised controlled trials. Cardiovascular disease was the condition with most information. The MedDiet showed a general preventive effect, which was reproduced to varying degrees for certain intermediate cardiovascular outcomes such as blood pressure, lipids, obesity, metabolic syndrome and diabetes. Benefits were also found for several types of cancer, brain function (including cognition, mood and to a lesser extent Parkinson's disease) and mortality. The quality of the published evidence was, however, generally moderate or low. In conclusion, the MedDiet shows a favourable impact on health. General adoption of a MedDiet is concordant with current policies promoting healthy and sustainable nutrition worldwide. Nonetheless, more high-quality research is needed to improve the consistency of the findings.