Associations of Dietary Vitamin A and Beta-Carotene Intake With Depression. A Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies

Association of dietary antioxidant intake with depression risk and all-cause mortality in people with prediabetes

People with diabetes has an elevated risk of depression, and depression contributes to a worse prognosis for people with diabetes. Dietary antioxidants have been shown to reduce the risk of depression in the general population. Therefore, we hypothesized that dietary antioxidants would also help to reduce the risk of depression and all-cause mortality in people with prediabetes. A total of 8789 participants aged 20 years and older from the 2005-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys who met the diagnostic criteria for prediabetes were included in our study. The associations between six dietary antioxidant intakes and the composite dietary antioxidant index (CDAI) with depression risk and all-cause mortality were assessed using weighted logistic and Cox regression. Possible nonlinear associations were further explored using restricted cubic spline. To ensure the reliability of the findings, the multiple imputations by chained equation were applied to missing covariates to avoid potential bias. Our study found that moderate dietary antioxidant intake prevents depression and improves prognosis in people with prediabetes. Moreover, a CDAI score near three allows for maximum benefit. Our findings could provide clues for early intervention in people with diabetes.

Assessing the role of antioxidant and pro-oxidant balance in mediating the relationship between vitamin K intake and depressive symptoms in adults

Background

Growing evidence suggests a link between vitamin K (VK) intake and depression, although the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We aimed to investigate whether oxidative balance scores (OBS) mediate the association between VK intake and depression in participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007-2018.

Methods

We analyzed data from 30,408 individuals. Dietary VK intake served as the independent variable, depression symptoms as the outcome variable, and OBS as the mediator. Multivariable logistic regression and restricted cubic splines assessed the associations. Mediation analysis was conducted to evaluate the potential mediating role of OBS.

Results

Higher dietary VK intake was associated with lower depression risk in the multivariate model. Compared to the lowest log2 VK quartile, those in the higher quartiles had significantly lower depression odds (Q3: OR 0.66, 95% CI 0.55-0.78; Q4: OR 0.64, 95% CI 0.52-0.78). Additionally, a 1-unit increase in log2 VK intake was associated with a 15% decrease in depression odds (OR 0.85, 95% CI 0.81-0.90). Restricted cubic splines revealed a non-linear relationship between log2 VK and depression (p for non-linearity <0.001). Notably, OBS mediated 26.09% (p < 0.001) of the association between log2 VK and depression.

Conclusion

Higher VK intake is associated with reduced depression risk, potentially mediated by oxidative balance. Further research is warranted to confirm causality and elucidate the underlying mechanisms.

Exploring the transformative impact of traditional Chinese medicine on depression: Insights from animal models

Depression, a prevalent and complex mental health condition, presents a significant global health burden. Depression is one of the most frequent mental disorders; deaths from it account for 14.3% of people worldwide. In recent years, the integration of complementary and alternative medicine, including traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has gained attention as a potential avenue for addressing depression. This comprehensive review critically assesses the efficacy of TCM interventions in alleviating depressive symptoms. An in-depth look at different research studies, clinical trials, and meta-analyses is used in this review to look into how TCM practices like herbal formulations, acupuncture, and mind-body practices work. The review looks at the quality of the evidence, the rigor of the methods, and any possible flaws in the current studies. This gives us an idea of where TCM stands right now in terms of treating depression. This comprehensive review aims to assess the efficacy of TCM interventions in alleviating depressive symptoms. In order to learn more about their possible healing effects, the study also looks into how different types of TCM work, such as herbal formulas, acupuncture, and mind-body practices.

Association of composite dietary antioxidant index with depression and all-cause mortality in middle-aged and elderly population

Current research has shown an increasing acceptance of interventions for depression through dietary modifications. However, whether composite dietary antioxidant index (CDAI) is associated with depression and all-cause mortality in middle-aged and elderly population remains unknown. This study aimed to explore those associations in American middle-aged and elderly population. Weighted logistic regression models and weighted Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to assess the association of CDAI, covariates, depression, and all-cause mortality, respectively. The stability of the results was also determined by a linear trend test based on CDAI quintiles. Restricted cubic spline curves were employed to test for non-linear relationships. In the model adjusted for all covariates, significant associations were found with the ORs (95% CI) for CDAI and depression [0.77 (0.67, 0.89)] and the HRs (95% CI) for CDAI with all-cause mortality[0.91 (0.83, 1.00)]. Upon conducting restricted cubic spline curves, we found that the association between CDAI and depression was linear, whereas the association between CDAI and all-cause mortality was non-linear with an inflection point of -0.19. Statistical significance was only found before the inflection point. In this study of middle-aged and elderly Americans, CDAI was linearly negatively associated with depression and non-linearly negatively associated with all-cause mortality.

Systematic identification of the role of gut microbiota in mental disorders: a TwinsUK cohort study

Mental disorders are complex disorders influenced by multiple genetic, environmental, and biological factors. Specific microbiota imbalances seem to affect mental health status. However, the mechanisms by which microbiota disturbances impact the presence of depression, stress, anxiety, and eating disorders remain poorly understood. Currently, there are no robust biomarkers identified. We proposed a novel pyramid-layer design to accurately identify microbial/metabolomic signatures underlying mental disorders in the TwinsUK registry. Monozygotic and dizygotic twins discordant for mental disorders were screened, in a pairwise manner, for differentially abundant bacterial genera and circulating metabolites. In addition, multivariate analyses were performed, accounting for individual-level confounders. Our pyramid-layer study design allowed us to overcome the limitations of cross-sectional study designs with significant confounder effects and resulted in an association of the abundance of genus Parabacteroides with the diagnosis of mental disorders. Future research should explore the potential role of Parabacteroides as a mediator of mental health status. Our results indicate the potential role of the microbiome as a modifier in mental disorders that might contribute to the development of novel methodologies to assess personal risk and intervention strategies.

Electroretinography and suicidal behaviors: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Electroretinogram (ERG) is one of the tools used to investigate the electrophysiological underpinnings of mental health illnesses and major clinical phenomena (e.g., suicide) to improve their diagnosis and care. While multiple studies have reported specific ERG changes among individuals with suicidal behaviors, we know of no review that has been done to characterize their findings to inform future research.

METHODS

This review included available literature concerning ERG and suicidal behaviors. The paper's first section briefly overviews the theoretical basis of ERG and neurotransmitters involved in suicidal behaviors. The second section describes the findings of a review of studies reporting ERG findings among individuals with suicidal behaviors.

RESULTS

Most reviewed studies reported normal amplitude and implicit time of the a-waves, but the latency in individuals with suicidal behaviors was lower than normal. Additionally, the b-waves amplitude was reduced, but the implicit time and latency were increased. The b-a amplitude ratio and oscillatory potential were decreased.

CONCLUSION

Despite identifying certain ERG correlates with suicidal behaviors in the existing studies, there is a need for adequately powered and methodologically robust studies to advance clinical translation.

Mental Health Conditions, Including Depression and Stress, Are Associated with Increased Odds of Gastric Cancer-Insights into the Role of Diet: A Case-Control Study

Several risk factors, including nutritional/lifestyle ones, play a role in gastric cancer etiology. Further interactions with mental health have also been emphasized. We hypothesized that individuals with mental disorders would exhibit compromised nutrient intake, increasing their risk of gastric cancer. The state of mental health was evaluated in 82 patients with gastric cancer and 95 healthy controls using the 21-item Depression-Anxiety-Stress Scale. The participants' dietary intakes were evaluated by a 168-item food frequency questionnaire. Based on fully adjusted logistic regressions, there was a significant association between depression (OR = 1.938, CI 95%: 1.009-3.723) and stress (OR = 2.630, CI 95%: 1.014-6.819) with increased odds of gastric cancer. According to fully adjusted multinomial regressions, vitamins A and B6, beta-carotene, and black tea decreased the odds of depression, based on comparing the control group with cases of depression, while sugar and salt increased its odds. The highest significant association was found for salt intake and anxiety in cases with present anxiety (OR = 4.899, 95% CI: 2.218-10.819), and the highest significant protective effect was found for vitamin B6 and depression in cases with present depression (OR = 0.132, 95% CI: 0.055-0.320). However, considering causal relationships and clarifying the underlying mechanisms is imperative and requires further investigation. Advising healthy dietary patterns, e.g., a Mediterranean diet rich in vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals such as vitamin A, B6, beta-carotene, and fiber, is expected to reduce the odds of gastric cancer, possibly related to lower levels of anxiety and depression.

The gut-derived metabolites as mediators of the effect of healthy nutrition on the brain

Nutrition is now well recognized to be an environmental factor which positively or negatively influences the risk to develop neurological and psychiatric disorders. The gut microbiota has recently been shown to be an important actor mediating the relationship between environmental factors, including nutrition, and brain function. While its composition has been widely studied and associated with the risk of brain diseases, the mechanisms underlying the relationship between the gut and brain diseases remain to be explored. The wide range of bioactive molecules produced by the gut microbiota, called gut-derived metabolites (GDM), represent new players in the gut to brain interactions and become interesting target to promote brain health. The aim of this narrative review is to highlight some GDMs of interest that are produced in response to healthy food consumption and to summarize what is known about their potential effects on brain function. Overall, GDMs represent future useful biomarkers for the development of personalized nutrition. Indeed, their quantification after nutritional interventions is a useful tool to determine individuals' ability to produce microbiota-derived bioactive compounds upon consumption of specific food or nutrients. Moreover, GDMs represent also a new therapeutic approach to counteract the lack of response to conventional nutritional interventions.

Relationship between Vitamin Intake and Resilience Based on Sex in Middle-Aged and Older Japanese Adults: Results of the Shika Study

Epidemiological studies reported that resilience, generally regarded as the ability to manage stress in the face of adversity, correlates with mental health in middle-aged and older adults. Currently, there is limited information on eating habits that affect resilience. Therefore, this cross-sectional study investigated the relationship between vitamin intake and resilience based on sex in community-dwelling middle-aged and older individuals in Shika town, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. A total of 221 participants (106 men and 115 women) aged 40 years or older were included in the analysis. We assessed vitamin intake and resilience using a brief-type self-administered diet history questionnaire (BDHQ) and the resilience scale (RS), respectively. A two-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) revealed that higher intakes of β-carotene and vitamin K were associated with higher RS in women, but not in men. Furthermore, a multiple logistic regression analysis stratified by sex showed that β-carotene and vitamin K were significant independent variables for RS only in women. The present study suggests that higher intakes of β-carotene and vitamin K were associated with higher resilience among middle-aged and older women. The results obtained demonstrate that β-carotene and vitamin K intakes may enhance resilience by strengthening stress tolerance.

A strategy for exploring subgroup-specific effects in nutrition science

Nutrients are an essential part of building and maintaining optimal health. Certain nutrient exposure has been shown to be associated with many important health outcomes, although there is variability among studies. Despite the scientific efforts of many, it is unclear why some well-hypothesised nutrients lack sufficient evidence for clear association with health outcomes. One potential reason for conflicting results is that certain subgroups of patients benefit or are harmed more by adequate or inadequate exposure to certain nutrients. These subgroup-specific effects have historically not been studied, or if they are, it is often in a one-off type of approach where the investigator believes that a subgroup effect could exist based on limited previous data. In the era of big data, improvements can be made in efforts to generate new hypotheses for subgroups of patients and recommendations for precision nutrition can be made. In the present paper, we present a strategy for exploring subgroup-specific effects in nutrient-related studies. This data-driven method can be useful in secondarily exploring which subgroups are harmed/helped most by inadequate/adequate nutrient exposure and could suggest target groups for future clinical trials to test the identified hypotheses. We then present an example study utilizing the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data from the years 2001–2006. In this example, a limited selection of nutrients is protective in subgroups of participants with diabetes on their self-reported number of poor mental health days.