Associations of different types of dairy intakes with depressive symptoms in adults

Honey Added to Yogurt with Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis DN-173 010/CNCM I-2494 Supports Probiotic Enrichment but Does Not Reduce Intestinal Transit Time in Healthy Adults: A Randomized, Controlled, Crossover Trial

BACKGROUND

Honey improves probiotic survival in vitro. However, if this effect translates to humans has not been investigated.

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to determine effects of honey plus yogurt containing the probiotic Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis DN-173 010/CNCM I-2494 (B. animalis) on intestinal transit time, probiotic enrichment, digestive health, mood, and cognition in adults.

METHODS

Sixty-six healthy adults (34 female; 33.6 ± 9.8 y; 24.6 ± 3.0 kg/m2) in a crossover trial were randomly assigned to 2-wk yogurt conditions in a counterbalanced order with ≥4-wk washout: 1) Honey (HON): yogurt plus honey and 2) Negative Control (NC): heat-treated yogurt plus sugar. Of the participants, n = 62 completed the trial, and n = 37 (17 female; 32.0 ± 8.3 y; 25.0 ± 2.9 kg/m2) elected to enroll in a third condition (a nonrandomized study extension) after ≥4-wk washout with a reference Positive Control (PC): yogurt plus sugar. At baseline and end of each of the 3 conditions, intestinal transit time was measured with dye capsules; probiotic abundance with fecal DNA 16S sequencing; digestive health with symptom/function records, Bristol stool consistency, Gastrointestinal Tolerability, and Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index; mood with Positive and Negative Affect Schedule-Short Form, Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-42, Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System questionnaires, and an emotional image task; and cognition with a spatial reconstruction task. Data were analyzed using linear mixed-effects models (LMMs) with significance at P ≤ 0.05. Baseline and end data were included in the LMM, with fixed effects being treatment, time, treatment by time interaction, and baseline covariate, and the random effect being the participant.

RESULTS

B. animalis was enriched in HON (d = 3.54; P = 0.0002) compared to controls with linear discriminant analysis effect size. Intestinal transit time, gastrointestinal health, mood, and cognition did not differ between conditions (LMM: Ps > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Yogurt + honey enriched B. animalis but did not reduce intestinal transit time or have other functional gastrointestinal, mood, or cognitive effects in adults. This trial was registered at www.

CLINICALTRIALS

gov as NCT04187950 and NCT04901390.

Antidepressant-like Effects of Representative Types of Food and Their Possible Mechanisms

Depression is a mental disorder characterized by low mood, lack of motivation, negative cognitive outlook, and sleep problems. Suicide may occur in severe cases, although suicidal thoughts are not seen in all cases. Globally, an estimated 350 million individuals grapple with depression, as reported by the World Health Organization. At present, drug and psychological treatments are the main treatments, but they produce insufficient responses in many patients and fail to work at all in many others. Consequently, treating depression has long been an important topic in society. Given the escalating prevalence of depression, a comprehensive strategy for managing its symptoms and impacts has garnered significant attention. In this context, nutritional psychiatry emerges as a promising avenue. Extensive research has underscored the potential benefits of a well-rounded diet rich in fruits, vegetables, fish, and meat in alleviating depressive symptoms. However, the intricate mechanisms linking dietary interventions to brain function alterations remain largely unexplored. This review delves into the intricate relationship between dietary patterns and depression, while exploring the plausible mechanisms underlying the impact of dietary interventions on depression management. As we endeavor to unveil the pathways through which nutrition influences mental well-being, a holistic perspective that encompasses multidisciplinary strategies gains prominence, potentially reshaping how we approach and address depression.

Milk kefir drink may not reduce depression in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: secondary outcome analysis of a randomized, single-blinded, controlled clinical trial

BACKGROUND

Depression is prevalent among individuals with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and can cause poor health outcomes. Moreover, a solid bilateral association between NAFLD and depression has been shown, which may alleviate by kefir consumption. Thus, we aimed to investigate the effect of milk kefir drinks on the depression status of individuals with NAFLD.

METHODS

In a secondary outcome analysis of a randomized, single-blinded, controlled clinical trial, 80 adults with grades 1 to 3 of NAFLD were included in an 8-week intervention. Participants were randomly assigned to Diet or Diet + kefir groups to either follow a low-calorie diet or a low-calorie diet along with a 500 cc milk kefir drink daily. The participants' demographic, anthropometric, dietary, and physical data were recorded before and after the study. Depression status was assessed using the Persian format of the second version of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II-Persian) at the baseline and after 8 weeks of intervention.

RESULTS

Overall, 80 participants aged 42.87 ± 10.67 years were included in the analysis. The data on the baseline demographic, dietary, and physical activity of the groups were not significantly different. During the study, participants in Diet + Kefir group had a significantly decreased energy (P = 0.02), carbohydrate (P = 0.4), and fat consumption (P = 0.4). However, during the study, the depression score was not significantly reduced in the Diet group, the Diet + Kefir group showed a significant reduction in depression (P = 0.02). However, between-group analyses for changes in depression were not significant (P = 0.59).

CONCLUSION

Consumption of milk kefir drink for 8 weeks may not reduce depression symptoms in adults with NAFLD.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The trial was registered at IRCT.ir as IRCT20170916036204N6 (August 2018).

Appropriate Macronutrients or Mineral Elements Are Beneficial to Improve Depression and Reduce the Risk of Depression

Depression is a common mental disorder that seriously affects the quality of life and leads to an increasing global suicide rate. Macro, micro, and trace elements are the main components that maintain normal physiological functions of the brain. Depression is manifested in abnormal brain functions, which are considered to be tightly related to the imbalance of elements. Elements associated with depression include glucose, fatty acids, amino acids, and mineral elements such as lithium, zinc, magnesium, copper, iron, and selenium. To explore the relationship between these elements and depression, the main literature in the last decade was mainly searched and summarized on PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, Web of Science, and other electronic databases with the keywords "depression, sugar, fat, protein, lithium, zinc, magnesium, copper, iron, and selenium". These elements aggravate or alleviate depression by regulating a series of physiological processes, including the transmission of neural signals, inflammation, oxidative stress, neurogenesis, and synaptic plasticity, which thus affect the expression or activity of physiological components such as neurotransmitters, neurotrophic factors, receptors, cytokines, and ion-binding proteins in the body. For example, excessive fat intake can lead to depression, with possible mechanisms including inflammation, increased oxidative stress, reduced synaptic plasticity, and decreased expression of 5-Hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), Postsynaptic density protein 95(PSD-95), etc. Supplementing mineral elements, such as selenium, zinc, magnesium, or lithium as a psychotropic medication is mostly used as an auxiliary method to improve depression with other antidepressants. In general, appropriate nutritional elements are essential to treat depression and prevent the risk of depression.

Association between Dairy Consumption and Psychological Symptoms: Evidence from a Cross-Sectional Study of College Students in the Yangtze River Delta Region of China

BACKGROUND

Assessing the dairy consumption and psychological symptoms of Chinese college students as a reference for the mental health of Chinese college students.

METHODS

A three-stage stratified whole-group sampling method was used to investigate dairy consumption and psychological symptoms among 5904 (2554 male students, accounting for 43.3% of the sample) college students in the Yangtze River Delta region. The mean age of the subjects was 20.13 ± 1.24 years. Psychological symptoms were surveyed using the Brief Questionnaire for the Assessment of Adolescent Mental Health. The detection rates of emotional problems, behavioral symptoms, social adaptation difficulties and psychological symptoms among college students with different dairy consumption habits were analyzed using chi-square tests. The association between dairy consumption and psychological symptoms was assessed using a logistic regression model.

RESULTS

College students from the "Yangtze River Delta" region of China participated in the study, of which 1022 (17.31%) had psychological symptoms. The proportions of participants with dairy consumption of ≤2 times/week, 3-5 times/week, and ≥6 times/week were 25.68%, 42.09%, and 32.23%, respectively. Using dairy consumption ≥6 times/week as a reference, multifactor logistic regression analysis showed that college students with dairy consumption ≤2 times/week (OR = 1.42, 95% CI: 1.18, 1.71) were at higher risk of psychological symptoms (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese college students with lower dairy consumption exhibited higher detection rates of psychological symptoms. Dairy consumption was negatively associated with the occurrence of psychological symptoms. Our study provides a basis for mental health education and increasing knowledge about nutrition among Chinese college students.

Fermented dairy foods consumption and depressive symptoms: A meta-analysis of cohort studies

BACKGROUND

The gut-brain axis has been potentially proposed as a link between the intake of fermented dairy foods and depression. We carried out this meta-analysis on published cohort studies to estimate the overall depression risk of fermented dairy foods intake.

METHODS

We searched the CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure) and PubMed databases for all articles within a range of published years from 2010 to 2022 on the association between fermented dairy foods intake and depression.

RESULTS

Finally, 8 studies met the inclusion criteria for this study, with 83,533 participants. Overall, there was statistical evidence of significantly decreased depression risk was found to be associated with fermented dairy foods intake (OR = 0.89, 95% CI = 0.81-0.98). In subgroup analysis, cheese and yogurt consumptions were significantly associated with decreased depression risk (OR = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.84-0.98 for cheese and OR = 0. 84, 95% CI = 0.72-0.99 for yogurt). However, we failed to find superabundant intake of fermented dairy foods intake decreased the risk of depression.

CONCLUSION

Our meta-analysis indicated that fermented dairy foods intake may have potential beneficial effect on depression via the gut-brain axis.

Nonfermented Dairy Intake, but Not Fermented Dairy Intake, Associated with a Higher Risk of Depression in Middle-Age and Older Finnish Men

BACKGROUND

Despite the putative health benefits of fermented dairy products, evidence on the association between fermented dairy and nonfermented dairy intake, and depression incidence is limited.

OBJECTIVES

This study examined cross-sectional and prospective associations between total dairy, fermented dairy, and nonfermented dairy intake with 1) the presence of elevated depressive symptoms and 2) the risk of a future hospital discharge or outpatient diagnosis of depression.

METHODS

Data from 2603 Finnish men (aged 42-60 y), recruited as part of the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study, were included. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine ORs and 95% CIs for elevated depressive symptoms (Human Population Laboratory scale ≥5 points) at baseline. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate HRs and 95% CIs between dairy categories and risk of depression diagnoses.

RESULTS

In cross-sectional analyses, fermented dairy intake in the highest (compared with lowest) tertile was associated with lower odds of having elevated depressive symptoms (adjusted OR: 0.70; 95% CI: 0.52, 0.96). Each 100-g increase in nonfermented dairy intake was associated with higher odds of having elevated depressive symptoms (adjusted OR: 1.06; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.10). During a mean follow-up time of 24 y, 113 males received a diagnosis of depression. After excluding cheese intake, higher fermented dairy intake was associated with a lower risk of depression diagnosis (adjusted HR: 0.62; 95% CI: 0.38, 1.03), which was strengthened after excluding those with elevated depressive symptoms at baseline (adjusted HR: 0.55; 95% CI: 0.31, 0.99), whereas nonfermented dairy intake in the highest tertile was associated with a 2-fold higher risk of depression (adjusted HR: 2.02; 95% CI: 1.20, 3.42).

CONCLUSIONS

Fermented dairy and nonfermented dairy intake were differentially associated with depression outcomes when examined cross-sectionally and over a mean period of 24 y. These findings suggest that dairy fermentation status may influence the association between dairy intake and depression in Finnish men. The KIHD study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03221127.

Dietary Vitamin C and Vitamin C Derived from Vegetables Are Inversely Associated with the Risk of Depressive Symptoms among the General Population

Vitamin C is a water-soluble antioxidant. Reducing the level of oxidative stress can alleviate depression. Therefore, we investigated the correlation between dietary vitamin C intake and the risk of depressive symptoms in the general population. Data from the 2007–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used in our study. The dietary intake of vitamin C was assessed by two 24-h dietary recalls. Depressive symptoms were assessed with the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Logistic regression and restricted cubic spline models were applied to assess the relationship between dietary vitamin C intake and the risk of depressive symptoms. The multivariate adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of depressive symptoms for the highest vs. lowest category of dietary vitamin C intake and vitamin C intake derived from vegetables were 0.73 (0.58–0.91) and 0.73 (0.56–0.95). In subgroup analyses, dietary vitamin C intake was negatively correlated with the risk of depressive symptoms in females 18–39 years old and 40–59 year-old groups. A dose-response analysis showed that there was a nonlinear relationship between dietary vitamin C intake and the risk of depressive symptoms. Dietary vitamin C intake and vitamin C intake derived from vegetables were inversely associated with the risk of depressive symptoms among the general population. We recommend increasing the intake of vegetables in daily diet.

The relationship between urine polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and depressive symptoms in American adults

BACKGROUND

Studies have shown that Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were neurotoxic, and PAHs exposure may be related to depressive symptoms. Thus, we conducted this study for further explorations.

METHODS

Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database of the 2005-2014 cycles were used. The independent variables were urine PAHs metabolites, including 1-hydroxynaphthalene (1-NAP), 2-hydroxynaphthalene (2-NAP), 3-hydroxyfluorene (3-FLU), 2-hydroxyfluorene (2-FLU), 1-hydroxyphenanthrene (1-PHE), and 1-hydroxypyrene (1-PYR). The dependent variable was depressive symptoms according to the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)-9. Multivariate logistic regression analyses and the restricted cubic splines were used in the analyses.

RESULTS

A total of 7647 adults aged 20 or above were included in the analyses. In the Crude model and Model 1 (adjusted for age and gender), compared with quartile (Q) 1, the risk of depressive symptoms increased in Q4 for all the six PAHs metabolites. However, in Model 2, after adjusted for more covariates, the results were no more significant. In the stratified analysis by gender, in Model 2, the weighted OR (95% CIs) of depressive symptoms were 2.78(1.04,7.38), 3.17(1.23,8.18) for 1-NAP, 2-NAP in Q4 for females, respectively. Besides, a non-linear dose-response relationship was found between 1-NAP, 2-NAP, and depressive symptoms in females, too.

LIMITATIONS

Cross-sectional study could not infer causality.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study found a positive association between urine PAHs and depressive symptoms in females, and more studies are needed to explore the relationships between PAHs exposure and depressive symptoms in the general adult populations.

Associations of dietary B vitamins intakes with depression in adults

Background: The impact of the dietary B vitamins intakes on the development of depression has been scarcely investigated. Thus, this study aimed to examine the associations of dietary B vitamins intakes with the risk of depression in American adults. Methods: The data we used in this study were from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007-2014. We used the Logistic regression models to analyze the associations of the dietary intakes of B vitamins with the risk of depression. Results: 17,732 individuals (8,623 males and 9,109 females) were enrolled in the study and they were all 18 or older. Compared to the lowest quartile of dietary intake, the ORs (95%CIs) of the highest quartile were 0.64 (0.50-0.82), 0.78 (0.62-0.97), 0.60 (0.47-0.78), 0.65 (0.50-0.84), and 0.71 (0.54-0.95) for vitamin B1, vitamin B2, niacin, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12, respectively. Compared to the people whose dietary intakes below the RDA in the model 2, those with intake meeting the RDA of vitamin B1 (OR: 0.68; 95%CI: 0.56-0.84), niacin (OR: 0.65; 95%CI: 0.51-0.81), B6 (OR: 0.65; 95%CI: 0.52-0.81), or B12 (OR: 0.65; 95%CI: 0.48-0.88) had a lower risk of depression, severally. We also found a nonlinear negative association between dietary vitamin B1, vitamin B2, niacin, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 intakes and the risk of depression in the dose-response analyses, severally. Conclusions: Our results suggested that dietary vitamin B1, vitamin B2, niacin, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 intakes may be inversely associated with the risk of depression.