The Role Of Nutrition In Depressive States

Mental disorders are widespread and are both expensive and difficult to treat. Among people aged 15 to 45, depressive disorders are a leading problem worldwide. Improving public awareness and increasing treatment options for psychiatric illnesses is essential for public health.

The growing evidence base, including the first randomized controlled trial (a specific type of scientific experiment), concludes that diet and food choices may play a role in the treatment and prevention of depression.

Dietary guidelines for depression indicate that a traditional diet such as the Mediterranean diet should be followed , the necessary amounts of omega-3 fatty acids should be consumed, and processed foods, such as those high in refined carbohydrates or sugar, should be avoided.

A number of nutrients are associated with the pathophysiology of depression , for example, long-chain omega-3 fatty acid , vitamin B complexes, zinc , magnesium and vitamin D . Deficiency of these nutrients can cause depressive symptoms and in clinical treatment should be used in addition to therapy.

The literature on nutrition and the psyche has shifted its focus to the study of individual nutrients and the evaluation of common nutritional patterns . Prospective epidemiological studies have repeatedly found that dietary patterns of "traditional" or "whole foods" are significantly associated with a reduced prevalence and incidence of depressive disorders or symptoms.

It has been found that the Western diet is associated with an increased relative risk of developing depression. A cohort study showed that these people with the highest adherence to the Mediterranean diet showed a more than 30% reduced risk of developing depression during the study period compared to participants with the least association with the Mediterranean diet. Studies of traditional diets in Japan, Norway and China have also found similar results. The general recommendations are to increase the consumption of fruits, vegetables, fiber and fish.

Dietary counseling used as an active control in a clinical trial of treatment for the prevention of depression in adults found that prescribing a modified Mediterranean diet as an adjunct treatment resulted in 31% remission compared with placebo and treated patients. from the test.

Health and mental illness are influenced by nutrition through several mechanisms . Nutrients such as long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, magnesium and a number of phytonutrients (compounds found in plants) promote the expression of brain-derived neurotropic factor ( BDNF ) and thus affect neuroplasticity. and adapts to significant changes in the body and the environment).

The role of the intestinal flora (microbiome) as a possible key player in mood regulation suggests that we are just beginning to discover the potential of food as a medicine. Dietary fiber is a prebiotic (live microbial food supplements) and their consumption can change the composition of the microbiota (intestinal microflora).

There are currently many nutrient profiling scales created by government agencies, researchers and the food industry. However, there are no scales to focus on food for mental disorders and brain health , which are supported by the scientific literature to participate in the prevention and recovery from mental disorders. Therefore, it is important to determine which foods can play a role in preventing and recovering from depressive disorders.