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Sleeping Less Increases the Risk of Obesity and Negatively Influences the Diet-Behavior Relationship Within Nutritional Psychology

Posted on by CNP Staff

Adolescents often work strategically around their school schedules to allocate their time across studying, extracurriculars, and social activities to achieve a sense of freedom in an otherwise rigid structure. However, a compromise almost always has to be made in order to create more time, and regrettably, sleep is usually the one that becomes deprioritized (Owens et al., 2014). 

 

A compromise is almost always made in order to create more time, and regrettably, sleep is usually the thing that becomes deprioritized. 

 

This form of “bedtime procrastination” not only impacts the circadian rhythm that regulates the 24-hour sleep-wake cycle, but also the vital processes dependent on our body’s internal clock such as feeding behaviors. For example, lack of sleep has been associated with a higher risk of developing obesity due to dysregulated meal times, decreased self-inhibition, increased caloric intake, poorer nutritive quality of food consumed, increased sedentary time, and lowered metabolic expenditure (Duraccio et al., 2019; Krietsch et al., 2019). 

 

“Bedtime procrastination” impacts the circadian rhythm that regulates the 24-hour sleep-wake cycle and the vital processes such as feeding behaviors.

 

Although studies have underscored the detrimental effects insufficient sleep has on the physical and mental health of adolescents, few have investigated the direct relationship between sleep and diet during adolescence. 

To address this knowledge gap, Duraccio et al. (2021) led a crossover study on adolescent participants to understand how changes in sleep duration affected the amount, macronutrient content, and types of food they consumed. A crossover study allows observation of the same subjects across different conditions to evaluate how changes in the experiment’s design alter a specific outcome.

 

Duraccio et al. (2022) led a crossover study on adolescent participants to understand how changes in sleep duration affected the amount, macronutrient content, and types of food they consumed. 

 

In this study, the authors wanted to investigate how different sleep durations influence both diet quality and the timing in which participants ate. To this end, the authors compared conditions of “Short Sleep” and “Healthy Sleep” (five nights for each condition, 6.5 and 9.5 hours of sleep opportunity, respectively) using wrist-worn actigraphy devices and self-reported daily sleep/wake times to track sleep length.

 

%learn about nutrition mental health %The Center for Nutritional Psychology

Figure 1. Association Between Sleep and Dietary Intake Behavior  – Sleeping fewer hours per night correlated with increased consumption of carbohydrates and added sugars, and decreased intake of fruits and vegetables in adolescents, leading to an increased risk of developing obesity and related cardiometabolic diseases.

 

The authors report that adolescents have a greater tendency—particularly during the late evening—to consume more carbohydrates, added sugars, foods with a higher glycemic index, servings of sweet drinks, and ate fewer fruits/vegetables when they slept less (Duraccio et al., 2022). Compared to Healthy Sleep, the Short Sleep condition affected diet quality and timing of food consumption across participants. The study’s results are illuminating as they provide tangible evidence underscoring how less sleep correlates with higher risks of obesity and cardiometabolic diseases in adolescents. Moreover, the findings align and support similar work from other groups that advocate for pediatric interventions that promote better sleep to regulate healthy diet-brain signaling (Quist et al., 2016; Miller et al., 2018).

 

When adolescents slept less, they had a greater tendency to consume more carbohydrates, added sugars, servings of sweet drinks, and fewer fruits/vegetables.

 

What could be causing this association remains unclear and, accordingly, further research in this area is required. The current understanding is that this may be the body’s compensatory response to increase the consumption of high-energy foods (often unhealthy) to offset the loss of sleep, although such homeostatic drive inadvertently increases the negative risks of obesity and its comorbidities (Welsh et al., 2011, Duraccio et al., 2022). In other words, the authors discuss the correlation between the lack of sleep with less energy and the body’s natural response to eating more high-energy foods to offset this energy imbalance.

 

The authors discuss the correlation between the lack of sleep with less energy and the body’s natural response to eating more high-energy foods to offset the energy imbalance.

 

While this study’s results are subject to biases and inaccuracies as they rely on participant recall of what they ate, Duraccio et al. (2022) demonstrate how lack of sleep can alter feeding behaviors and lead to dietary changes that ultimately impact adolescent health. Be sure to see the Nutritional Psychology Research Library (NPRL) Diet and Sleep Research Category to learn more about the effect of diet on sleep. 

 

References

Duraccio, K. M., Krietsch, K. N., Chardon, M. L., Van Dyk, T. R., & Beebe, D. W. (2019). Poor sleep and adolescent obesity risk: a narrative review of potential mechanisms. Adolescent health, medicine and therapeutics, 10, 117–130. https://doi.org/10.2147/AHMT.S219594 

Duraccio, K. M., Whitacre, C., Krietsch, K. N., Zhang, N., Summer, S., Price, M., Saelens, B. E., & Beebe, D. W. (2022). Losing sleep by staying up late leads adolescents to consume more carbohydrates and a higher glycemic load. Sleep, 45(3), zsab269. https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsab269 

Krietsch, K. N., Chardon, M. L., Beebe, D. W., & Janicke, D. M. (2019). Sleep and weight-related factors in youth: A systematic review of recent studies. Sleep medicine reviews, 46, 87–96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2019.04.010

Miller, M. A., Kruisbrink, M., Wallace, J., Ji, C., & Cappuccio, F. P. (2018). Sleep duration and incidence of obesity in infants, children, and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies. Sleep, 41(4), 10.1093/sleep/zsy018. https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsy018 

Owens, J., Adolescent Sleep Working Group, & Committee on Adolescence (2014). Insufficient sleep in adolescents and young adults: an update on causes and consequences. Pediatrics, 134(3), e921–e932. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2014-1696 

Quist, J. S., Sjödin, A., Chaput, J. P., & Hjorth, M. F. (2016). Sleep and cardiometabolic risk in children and adolescents. Sleep medicine reviews, 29, 76–100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2015.09.001  

Welsh, J. A., Sharma, A., Cunningham, S. A., & Vos, M. B. (2011). Consumption of added sugars and indicators of cardiovascular disease risk among US adolescents. Circulation, 123(3), 249–257. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.110.972166 

Whole Food Dietary Interventions to Improve Depression Symptoms

Posted on by CNP Staff

Depression is a debilitating mental illness that often manifests with physical symptoms such as fatigue and cognitive impairments. Globally, it is a prevalent disability that can be treated through a combination of evidence-based therapies and medications. While these are viable options for individuals seeking help, their general effectiveness across diverse populations has yet to be established and, importantly, may not be suitable for those whose symptoms make it difficult to pursue treatment consistently. 

In seeking alternatives that are more feasible to implement in addressing chronic depression, numerous epidemiological studies have uncovered an inverse correlation between diet quality and depression (Molendijk et al., 2018; Lassale et al., 2019; Wu et al., 2020). Biological mechanisms—like inflammation, oxidation, and stress—have been proposed as drivers of depression, and diets enriched with polyphenol and omega-3 fatty acids have proved effective in improving depressive symptoms (Jang et al., 2020, Marx et al., 2020). 

 

Numerous epidemiological studies have uncovered an inverse correlation between diet quality and depression.

 

However, the relationship between diet and mental health is difficult to elucidate as research mostly focuses on micronutrients, which humans do not eat in isolation (O’Neill et al., 2022). In an effort to clarify the positive impact of dietary interventions on depression, O’Neill et al. conducted a systematic review of clinical trials emphasizing the effects of whole food diets on depressive symptoms.

Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Quality Criteria (ANDQCC) Checklists, the authors reviewed results from randomized control trials (RCTs) in which only whole foods/diet dietary interventions were used to address depression (Page et al., 2021). PRISMA was utilized to ensure appropriate studies were included in the literature search and ANDQCC was leveraged to reduce the risk of bias in the selected studies by assessing their validity with a series of quality criteria questions. Moreover, the authors intentionally limited their reviews of RCTs from 2000 to 2021 to produce conclusions that better reflect today’s dietary landscape and the possible benefits of whole foods/diets in treating depression.

From a total of 3,030 studies, seven studies were ultimately included and analyzed in their systematic review, representing adult populations from the USA, the UK, Australia, and Korea. These studies utilized whole food interventions—characterized by the consumption of minimally processed foods—and/or whole diet interventions that carefully regulated dietary intake to evaluate how they improved depressive symptoms according to standardized depression measures (O’Neill et al., 2022). 

Across all studies, these interventions reduced depressive symptoms and, in particular, whole diet interventions involving flavonoids led to the greatest decrease in depression scores. These phytochemicals are abundant in Mediterranean diets and have been demonstrated to alleviate depression through antioxidative and anti-inflammatory processes (Godos et al., 2018; Bayes et al., 2020; Ventriglio et al., 2020). 

%learn about nutrition mental health %The Center for Nutritional Psychology

Figure 1. Whole diets rich in flavonoids were associated with lower depressive symptoms, most likely through antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effects, as reported through standardized depression scores. 

Flavonoids are plant compounds that are obtainable through a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. There are six primary types of flavonoids, each with health-promoting anti-inflammatory effects, along with antioxidant properties which protect cells from oxidative damage. Flavonoids have been identified in the literature as natural antidepressants with additional benefits in reducing the risks of heart disease and diabetes (Hritcu et al., 2017; Pannu et al., 2021). Sources of flavonoids include dark leafy greens, vegetables, berries, seeds, nuts, beans, and grains.  

 

Whole diet interventions involving flavonoids led to the greatest decrease in depression scores. 

 

For more information on how plant compounds influence brain function and mental health, visit the Center for Nutritional Psychology (CNP) Nutritional Psychology Research Libraries (NPRLs). 

 

References

Bayes, J., Schloss, J., & Sibbritt, D. (2020). Effects of Polyphenols in a Mediterranean Diet on Symptoms of Depression: A Systematic Literature Review. Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.), 11(3), 602–615. https://doi.org/10.1093/advances/nmz117 

Godos, J., Castellano, S., Ray, S., Grosso, G., & Galvano, F. (2018). Dietary Polyphenol Intake and Depression: Results from the Mediterranean Healthy Eating, Lifestyle and Aging (MEAL) Study. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 23(5), 999. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules23050999 

Gomez-Pinilla, F., Foster, J. A., Cani, P. D., Thuret, S., Staudacher, H. M., … Jacka, F. N. (2021). Diet and depression: exploring the biological mechanisms of action. Molecular psychiatry, 26(1), 134–150. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-020-00925-x 

Hritcu, L., Ionita, R., Postu, P. A., Gupta, G. K., Turkez, H., Lima, T. C., Carvalho, C., & de Sousa, D. P. (2017). Antidepressant Flavonoids and Their Relationship with Oxidative Stress. Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity, 2017, 5762172. https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/5762172 

Jang, S. H., Woo, Y. S., Lee, S. Y., & Bahk, W. M. (2020). The Brain-Gut-Microbiome Axis in Psychiatry. International journal of molecular sciences, 21(19), 7122. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21197122 

Lassale, C., Batty, G. D., Baghdadli, A., Jacka, F., Sánchez-Villegas, A., Kivimäki, M., & Akbaraly, T. (2019). Healthy dietary indices and risk of depressive outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. Molecular psychiatry, 24(7), 965–986. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-018-0237-8 

Marx, W., Lane, M., Hockey, M., Aslam, H., Berk, M., Walder, K., Borsini, A., Firth, J., Pariante, C. M., Berding, K., Cryan, J. F., Clarke, G., Craig, J. M., Su, K. P., Mischoulon, D., 

Molendijk, M., Molero, P., Ortuño Sánchez-Pedreño, F., Van der Does, W., & Angel Martínez-González, M. (2018). Diet quality and depression risk: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies. Journal of affective disorders, 226, 346–354. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2017.09.022 

O’Neill, S., Minehan, M., Knight-Agarwal, C. R., & Turner, M. (2022). Depression, Is It Treatable in Adults Utilising Dietary Interventions? A Systematic Review of Randomised Controlled Trials. Nutrients, 14(7), 1398. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14071398 

Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., Shamseer, L., Tetzlaff, J. M., Akl, E. A., Brennan, S. E., Chou, R., Glanville, J., Grimshaw, J. M., Hróbjartsson, A., Lalu, M. M., Li, T., Loder, E. W., Mayo-Wilson, E., McDonald, S., McGuinness, L. A., … Moher, D. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: an updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 372, n71. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n71 

Pannu, A., Sharma, P. C., Thakur, V. K., & Goyal, R. K. (2021). Emerging Role of Flavonoids as the Treatment of Depression. Biomolecules, 11(12), 1825. https://doi.org/10.3390/biom11121825 

Ventriglio, A., Sancassiani, F., Contu, M. P., Latorre, M., Di Slavatore, M., Fornaro, M., & Bhugra, D. (2020). Mediterranean Diet and its Benefits on Health and Mental Health: A Literature Review. Clinical practice and epidemiology in mental health : CP & EMH, 16(Suppl-1), 156–164. https://doi.org/10.2174/1745017902016010156 

Wu, P. Y., Lin, M. Y., & Tsai, P. S. (2020). Alternate healthy eating index and risk of depression: A meta-analysis and systemematic review. Nutritional neuroscience, 23(2), 101–109. https://doi.org/10.1080/1028415X.2018.1477424 

 

How did the COVID-19 Pandemic Influence the Diet Mental Health Relationship in 5,000 Households?

Posted on by CNP Staff

The COVID-19 pandemic has been devastating across many aspects of life. From health concerns to financial insecurities, many have endured the challenging circumstances imposed by social distancing and public health measures aimed to contain contagious outbreaks. 

Throughout the pandemic, changes in lifestyle and the loss of community from isolation have resulted in increased reports of mental health issues (Wilder-Smith & Freedman, 2020). The prevalence of anxiety and depression has motivated health professionals to consider new and different strategies to prevent and treat mental illnesses. A healthy diet is often recommended as a viable option to improve mental health. 

 

The prevalence of anxiety and depression has motivated health professionals to consider different strategies to prevent and treat mental illnesses. 

 

Since the pandemic has not only harmed food security but also the ability of individuals to maintain balanced diets, Coletro and colleagues were interested in identifying both how eating behaviors have changed during the pandemic, and whether these changes correlate with the higher incidence of anxiety and depression (Di Renzo et al., 2020; Huizar et al., 2021).

Focusing on the Brazilian urban population and through an epidemiological approach, Coletro et al. (2022) utilized household surveys to assess mental illness symptoms and food consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic. They employed the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item test to evaluate anxiety (Löwe et al., 2008) and the Patient Health Questionnaire for depression (Kroenke et al., 2001). To assess the quality of participants’ diet, a NOVA classification food questionnaire—a system developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations—was incorporated to quantify how frequently participants consumed fresh/minimally processed and ultra-processed foods (Monteiro et al., 2010; Meireles et al., 2021; Wang et al., 2021).  

In this study, fresh and minimally processed foods included beans, nuts, vegetables, red meat, chicken, fish, eggs, and fruits, whereas ultra-processed foods include soft drinks, packaged snacks, instant foods, processed meats like hamburgers, frozen products, bread, and sweets.

%learn about nutrition mental health %The Center for Nutritional Psychology

Figure 1. Eating more fresh/minimally processed foods is associated with a lower prevalence of depression and anxiety symptoms, while consumption of ultra-processed foods is associated with higher reports of depression and anxiety.

 

With data collected from over 5,000 households, the authors found that eating fresh/minimally processed foods above the weekly average frequency was associated with a lower prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms. In contrast, eating ultra-processed foods above the weekly average was associated with a higher prevalence of anxiety and depression (Figure 1). 

Eating fresh/minimally processed foods above the weekly average frequency was associated with a lower prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms. 

However, as this was a cross-sectional study where data were collected from participant self-responses at a specific time, it does not warrant causality between the consumption of processed foods and mental health symptoms. Nevertheless, the study’s results demonstrate that not only does nutrition relate to mental health but they also shed light on the importance of creating a balanced diet full of fresh and minimally processed foods. Nutrient deficiency increases the risk of inflammatory reactions in the brain and has been associated with the onset of mental illnesses (Grosso et al., 2014). Moreover, ultra-processed foods are poor in necessary micronutrients like vitamins and polyphenols, which are metabolized into essential, anti-inflammatory fatty acids that modulate critical mood neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine. 

 

References

Coletro, H. N., Mendonça, R. D., Meireles, A. L., Machado-Coelho, G., & Menezes, M. C. (2022). Ultra-processed and fresh food consumption and symptoms of anxiety and depression during the COVID – 19 pandemic: COVID Inconfidentes. Clinical nutrition ESPEN, 47, 206–214. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnesp.2021.12.013 

Di Renzo, L., Gualtieri, P., Pivari, F., Soldati, L., Attinà, A., Cinelli, G., Leggeri, C., Caparello, G., Barrea, L., Scerbo, F., Esposito, E., & De Lorenzo, A. (2020). Eating habits and lifestyle changes during COVID-19 lockdown: an Italian survey. Journal of translational medicine, 18(1), 229. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12967-020-02399-5 

Grosso, G., Galvano, F., Marventano, S., Malaguarnera, M., Bucolo, C., Drago, F., & Caraci, F. (2014). Omega-3 fatty acids and depression: Scientific evidence and biological mechanisms. Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity, 2014, 313570. https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/313570 

Huizar, M. I., Arena, R., & Laddu, D. R. (2021). The global food syndemic: The impact of food insecurity, Malnutrition and obesity on the healthspan amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Progress in cardiovascular diseases, 64, 105–107. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pcad.2020.07.002 

Kroenke, K., Spitzer, R. L., & Williams, J. B. (2001). The PHQ-9: validity of a brief depression severity measure. Journal of general internal medicine, 16(9), 606–613. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1525-1497.2001.016009606.x 

Löwe, B., Decker, O., Müller, S., Brähler, E., Schellberg, D., Herzog, W., & Herzberg, P. Y. (2008). Validation and standardization of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Screener (GAD-7) in the general population. Medical care, 46(3), 266–274. https://doi.org/10.1097/MLR.0b013e318160d093 

Meireles, A. L., Lourenção, L. G., de Menezes Junior, L. A. A., Coletro, H. N., Justiniano, I. C. S., de Moura, S. S., … & Machado-Coelho, G. L. L. (2021). COVID-Inconfidentes-SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in two Brazilian urban areas during the pandemic first wave: study protocol and initial results. 

Monteiro, C. A., Levy, R. B., Claro, R. M., Castro, I. R., & Cannon, G. (2010). A new classification of foods based on the extent and purpose of their processing. Cadernos de saude publica, 26(11), 2039–2049. https://doi.org/10.1590/s0102-311×2010001100005 

Wang, L., Martínez Steele, E., Du, M., Pomeranz, J. L., O’Connor, L. E., Herrick, K. A., Luo, H., Zhang, X., Mozaffarian, D., & Zhang, F. F. (2021). Trends in Consumption of Ultraprocessed Foods Among US Youths Aged 2-19 Years, 1999-2018. JAMA, 326(6), 519–530. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2021.10238 

Wilder-Smith, A., & Freedman, D. O. (2020). Isolation, quarantine, social distancing and community containment: pivotal role for old-style public health measures in the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak. Journal of travel medicine, 27(2), taaa020. https://doi.org/10.1093/jtm/taaa020

Neuroplasticity, Behavior, and Dietary Intake — Rewiring the Brain for Better or Worse

Posted on by CNP Staff

What we think, do, say, and eat has the ability to change our brain processes and structures — a process called neuroadaptation (see Diet and Brain and Diet and Cognition in the CNP Research Libraries). These adaptations can influence the long-term rewiring of our brain circuitry. In this post, we explore two different actions that many of us engage in that can influence the development of neuroadaptations in our brain. Becoming aware of these actions can support us in influencing these adaptations to work in our favor. 

Within psychology and neuroscience, the term “neuroplasticity” is used to describe how the brain changes and adapts in response to experience. Dr. Micheal Merzenich, a neuroscientist at The University of California in San Francisco explains it like this: “Your experiences, behaviors, thinking habits, thought patterns, and ways of reacting to the world are inseparable from how your brain wires itself.” (Science explains what happens to someone’s brain from complaining every day, 2020).

 

Your experiences, behaviors, thinking habits, thought patterns, and ways of reacting to the world are inseparable from how your brain wires itself.

 

Let’s explore an example of how what we say and do can result in changes to our brain — take, for example, the act of verbally complaining. Although everyone complains now and then, when we express dissatisfaction or annoyance about something frequently, we can fall into a habitual pattern that results in neuroadaptations in our brain and the rewiring of our brain circuitry.

A study from Stanford University found that just 30 minutes of complaining or even just hearing someone complain, could result in changes to the brain’s structure and function (Pisano, n.d.). As Donald Hebb, a Canadian psychologist known for his work in neuropsychology, states, “Neurons that fire together, wire together.” This means that the more you complain, or think negatively, the more you strengthen those synapses between neurons, creating a vicious cycle that can be hard to break (Pisano, n.d.).

 

Neurons that fire together, wire together.

 

Given that our brain reinforces pathways that are often used (whether supportive or not), do we have any influence in encouraging more positive neuroadaptations and making neuroplasticity work in our favor?  In 2017, Dr. Barbara Fredrickson and her colleagues at the University of North Carolina showed that people who meditate daily tend to have more positive emotions than those who do not. Interestingly enough, meditation has also been shown to strengthen the insula — the part of the brain responsible for Interoception (Sharp et al., 2018). Within Nutritional Psychology, interoceptive awareness plays a key role in developing our ability to monitor our internal states in relation to the foods we eat (more about this can be found in Introduction to Nutritional Psychology Methods (NP 110). 

Just like evidence reveals the impact of frequent complaining on our brain, evidence shows that eating a Western-style dietary intake pattern influences changes to both brain structures (Jacka et al., 2015) and functions (Stevenson et al., 2020). One such area is the hippocampus (Attuquayefio et al., 2017) which is the part of the brain responsible for learning and memory. 

 

The western-style dietary pattern results in changes to brain processes and structures in numerous areas of the brain.

 

While consuming highly palatable foods (those high in salt, sugar, and/or processed oils) can result in neuroadaptations that negatively influence brain function and structure, consuming unprocessed nutrient-dense and diverse foods daily, like fresh (or even canned or frozen) vegetables, fruits, high-quality proteins and healthy fats (the kinds found in olive oil, avocados, and nuts), can result in the opposite — a processed called neurogenesis* which involves the proliferate of new neurons and other resident brain cells (Poulose et al., 2017) (Otsuka, et al., 2021).

As we can see, both psychological and dietary factors can influence our brain structure and function, and the resulting neuroadaptations can influence our functioning positively, or negatively. At the end of the day, it is up to us as individuals to steer them in a favorable direction, whether that be through consciously choosing a nutrient-dense diet, maintaining a positive mindset when life events don’t go our way, or engaging in mindfulness techniques.

*Dietary components such as curcumin, resveratrol, blueberry polyphenols, sulforaphane, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), and diets enriched with polyphenols, have been shown to induce neurogenesis in adult brains (Poulose et al., 2017)

 

References

Attuquayefio, T., Stevenson, R. J., Oaten, M. J., & Francis, H. M. (2017). A four-day Western-style dietary intervention causes reductions in hippocampal-dependent learning and memory and interoceptive sensitivity. PloS one, 12(2), e0172645. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0172645Fredrickson, B. L., Boulton, A. J., Firestine, A. M., Van Cappellen, P., Algoe, S. B., Brantley, M. M., Kim, S. L., Brantley, J., & Salzberg, S. (2017). Positive Emotion Correlates of Meditation Practice: A Comparison of Mindfulness Meditation and Loving-kindness Meditation. Mindfulness, 8(6), 1623–1633. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-017-0735-9

Jacka, F. N., Cherbuin, N., Anstey, K. J., Sachdev, P., & Butterworth, P. (2015). Western diet is associated with a smaller hippocampus: a longitudinal investigation. BMC Medicine, 13, 215. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-015-0461-x 

Otsuka, R., Nishita, Y., Nakamura, A., Kato, T., Iwata, K., Tange, C., Tomida, M., Kinoshita, K., Nakagawa, T., Ando, F., Shimokata, H., & Arai, H. (2021). Dietary diversity is associated with longitudinal changes in hippocampal volume among Japanese community dwellers. European journal of clinical nutrition, 75(6), 946–953. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41430-020-00734-zPisano, T. (n.d.). Complaining is Bad for your Brain! M1 Psychology. https://m1psychology.com/complaining-is-bad-for-your-brain/

Poulose, S. M., Miller, M. G., Scott, T., & Shukitt-Hale, B. (2017). Nutritional Factors Affecting Adult Neurogenesis and Cognitive Function. Advances in Nutrition (Bethesda, Md.), 8(6), 804–811. https://doi.org/10.3945/an.117.016261

Science explains what happens to someone’s brain from complaining every day. (2020, July 8). Power of Positivity: Positive Thinking & Attitude. https://www.powerofpositivity.com/complaining-changes-brain-anxious-depressed-research/?fbclid=IwAR0fXxg_NqwWZQAz_d3SkPO3EeE8hTdHnOgdOdFS5WW2o7toZpuwTN55x_k

Sharp, P.B., Sutton, B.P., Paul, E.J. et al. Mindfulness training induces structural connectome changes in insula networks. Sci Rep 8, 7929 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-26268-w

Stevenson, R., Francis, H., Attuquayefio, T., Gupta, D., Yeomans, M., Oaten, M., & Davidson, T. (2020) Hippocampal-dependent appetitive control is impaired by experimental exposure to a Western-style diet. Royal Society Open Science, 7(2).

Consolidating Research in Nutritional Psychology: The CNP Library Membership

Posted on by CNP Staff

Nutritional Psychology is the area of study that examines the psychological, behavioral, cognitive, sensory-perceptual, interoceptive, and psychosocial elements informing the Diet-Mental Health Relationship. As knowledge supporting our understanding of this relationship continues to grow, an increased need to unify these findings exists. While formal education and training in this area have been largely absent for mental health and allied health professionals, The Center for Nutritional Psychology has taken initiative to develop this area of study and is consistently working to consolidate the world’s research regarding the DMHR.

CNP’s ‘Research Library Membership’ contains the first ‘living’ and evolving database containing links to nearly 3,000 interdisciplinary, multinational scientific research studies informing our understanding of the Diet-Mental Health Relationship. While CNP’s public website contains five curated research libraries containing links to over 45 research categories in nutritional psychology, the CNP Research Library Membership provides educators, students, professionals, and advocates with access to CNP’s full scope of study links informing the field of nutritional psychology.

The CNP Library Membership also provides individuals with the opportunity to join a like-minded community, and engage with those who support and believe in the importance of incorporating a nutritional component into mental healthcare moving forward.

 

With the CNP Library Membership, members obtain exclusive access to:

    • All five carefully curated, searchable online libraries containing 45+ research categories and links to nearly 3,000 research studies informing the field 
    • A monthly animated video featuring a recent research study
    • The ability to create and organize personalized lists of studies, add your own notes, and easily print all the information you need
    • Nearly 2,40000 CNP-written research summaries (and counting!) that summarize research study abstracts for ease of reading, as well as full study citations
    • Members-only discounts for ALL Nutritional Psychology courses

 

It is through the CNP membership that you will have easy access to the research and tools needed to deepen your understanding of the relationship between our dietary intake, psychological health, and well-being. Whether you are an educator, student, professional, or advocate of Nutritional Psychology, your subscription to the CNP Library Membership will foster increased visibility and improve the mental healthcare system for the better.

 

The CNP Library Membership can be used by:

  • Mental health professionals looking to keep up-to-date with the field
  • Students to prepare reports, papers, thesis, and dissertations
  • Educators to organize and consolidate research studies used in NP-related syllabi
  • Organizations seeking to use Nutritional Psychology research findings and trends to inform education, policy, and research
  • Journalists writing articles related to the Diet-Mental Health Relationship
  • Individuals interested in seeing the latest research on how diet affects all aspects of our psychological functioning and mental health

 

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Herbs and Mental Health: What Does the Research Say?

Posted on by CNP Staff

As is evident by current research efforts (see Herbs and Mental Health), interest in using herbs to support psychological well-being is increasing. Scientists worldwide are beginning to substantiate the efficacy and healing capacities of hundreds of plants, trees, and their constituents — many of which have already been used in diverse healing traditions for thousands of years.

 

Scientists worldwide are beginning to substantiate the efficacy and healing capacities of hundreds of plants, trees, and their constituents.

 

For instance, Ayurvedic herbs like ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) are currently being studied to treat neurocognitive disorders because of their proven ability to reduce inflammation, a prominent cause of degenerative disease.

In a 2018 study, Gupta and Kaur stated that “Natural products are emerging better therapeutic agents due to their affordability and inherent pleiotropic [producing more than one effect] biological activities.”

Another herb well-known for its powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties is turmeric, alonside the active phytochemical it contains called curcumin. Turmeric is a rhizome (a subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes) commonly used in Indian cooking, and one of the world’s most popularly relied-upon nutraceuticals.

Scientists have demonstrated that curcumin can have positive effects on disorders including Parkinson’s disease and Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) (Tizabi et al., 2014). These findings are demonstrated in a study titled Relevance of the Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Curcumin in Neurodegenerative Diseases and Depression. Its authors write that “curcumin, or better yet, an analog with better and longer bioavailability could be of important therapeutic potential in PD and major depression.”

 

Curcumin can have positive effects on disorders including Parkinson’s disease and Major Depressive Disorder.

 

It is exciting to see both unfamiliar and familiar herbs like ashwagandha and turmeric being demystified as reliable sources supporting the mitigation of cognitive decline and disfunction. Soon other herbal plant medicines, including brahmi, ginkgo, Gotu kola, and even lemon and mint, may join their ranks as potential treatments with proven positive outcomes.

Fortunately for healthcare practitioners, patients, and curious individuals, we are at a period of renewed understanding in how we use plants to prevent, treat, and heal the range of psychological imbalances we experience, from anxiety and ADHD to stress and Parkinson’s Disease. Find current research on these topics in the Herbs and Mental Health category of CNP’s NP Research Library.

 

References

Gupta, M., & Kaur, G. (2018). Withania somnifera as a Potential Anxiolytic and Anti-inflammatory Candidate Against Systemic Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Neuroinflammation. Neuromolecular Medicine, 20(3), 343–362. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12017-018-8497-7

Tizabi, Y., Hurley, L. L., Qualls, Z., & Akinfiresoye, L. (2014). Relevance of the anti-inflammatory properties of curcumin in neurodegenerative diseases and depression. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 19(12), 20864–20879. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules191220864

 

The Psychology of Food Insecurity: Effects of Early COVID-19 on Mental Health

Posted on by CNP Staff

The Psychology of Food Insecurity: A major component of nutritional psychology is the psychological impact of food insecurity on mental health. In the United States (as in many areas around the world), food insecurity has increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic and is playing a role in the rise of mental health issues. The number of U.S. households experiencing food insecurity has tripled from 11% in 2018 to 35-38% during the initial months of COVID-19. As of March 2020, 44% of those in the low-income adult population experienced food insecurity along with increased rates of depression, anxiety, and psychological distress.

In a study by Wolfson, Garcia, & Leung (2021), the association between food insecurity, depression, anxiety, and stress was examined in a low-income adult population of 1,476 individuals between March 19th-24th in 2020. 

The researchers captured food security data using an 18-item U.S. Household Food Security questionnaire measuring household food insecurity status over the previous 30 days. Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Agriculture were used to define the food security categories which included high, marginal, low, or very low. Overall food insecurity was defined to include both the low and very low categories.  

A Patient Health Questionnaire measured how often participants felt anxiety and depression during the previous two weeks. Anxiety was assessed by capturing how often they felt nervous, anxious, on edge, or not able to stop or control their worrying. Depression was captured by how frequently they experienced pleasure in doing things, and how often they felt down, depressed, or hopeless. 

Participants used a four-point Likert scale ranging from 1) not at all, 2) somewhat, 3) very, or 4) extremely to rate their level of worry stemming from their ability to feed their families. The results revealed that very low food secure individuals were 7.49 times more likely to experience depression, 6.19 times more likely to have anxiety, and 10.91 times to perceive stress compared to food-secure individuals.  The researchers concluded a clear association between increased food insecurity levels with higher depression, anxiety, and stress levels.

For the open question on how COVID-19 was affecting participants’ lives, they expressed feeling depressed, scared, anxious, and depressed and shared that the pandemic was intensifying their pre-existing mental health conditions. 

The authors state that both short- and long-term mental health services must prioritize and provide equitable access to care for the low-income American population. Policies and solutions are needed to mitigate and prevent food insecure situations that impact mental health, such as the continuation of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and access to emergency food resources.

More studies like these informing the Diet-Mental Health Relationship can be found in the CNP Food Insecurity and Mental Health research library.

 

References

Wolfson, J. A., Garcia, T., & Leung, C. W. (2021). Food insecurity is associated with depression, anxiety, and stress: Evidence from the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Health Equity, 5(1), 64–71. https://doi.org/10.1089/heq.2020.0059

 

Further Reading

Coleman-Jensen, A., Rabbitt, M. P., Gregory, C.A., & Singh, A. (2020). Household food security in the United States. United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved from Household Food Security in the United States in 2019 – Summary (usda.gov)

Martinez, S. M., Frongillo, E. A., Leung, C., & Ritchie, L. (2020). No food for thought: Food insecurity is related to poor mental health and lower academic performance among students in California’s public university system. Journal of Health Psychology, 25(12), 1930–1939. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105318783028

Martinez, S. M., Esaryk, E. E., Moffat, L., & Ritchie, L. (2021). Redefining basic needs for higher education: It’s more than minimal food and housing according to California university students. American Journal of Health Promotion: AJHP, 890117121992295. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/0890117121992295

 

 

The Role of a High-Fat Diet in Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Posted on by CNP Staff

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, version 5, DSM-5 for short, classifies autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, intellectual disabilities, specific learning disorders, communication disorders, and motor disorders as neurodevelopmental disorders, or NDDs. This cluster of disorders is associated with abnormal brain development and impairments in cognition, speech and language skills, and social-emotional functioning.

A common feature of Neurodevelopmental Disorders or NDDs involves changes in synaptic plasticity in the brain. Synaptic plasticity is the brain’s process of modifying synaptic transmission in response to experiences and stimuli. 

While the underlying molecular mechanisms associated with changes in synaptic plasticity are only partially understood, lifestyle factors, like diet, also impact synaptic plasticity. In juvenile mice studies, a high-fat diet contributed to decreased hippocampal neurogenesis, impaired synaptic and cognitive function, and poor memory. By examining the molecular mechanisms affected by a high-fat diet, defined as a diet with a 30-50% fat content, Penna and his colleagues suspected there’s potential for understanding the molecular mechanisms associated with NDDs. 

Based on their review of study findings, Penna and his colleagues developed a diagram to illustrate potential molecular mechanisms connecting metabolic dysfunction of a high-fat diet to synaptic plasticity deficits related to NDDs.

A chronic, high-fat diet contributes to low-grade inflammation in the body. Persistent activation of the body’s inflammatory response system leads to the release of proinflammatory cytokines and other hormones into the bloodstream. This results in neuroinflammation. 

An associated dysfunction of neuroinflammation is changes in synaptic plasticity. These changes could be brought on by dysregulated local protein synthesis. In mice studies, a decrease in Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) — a neutrophin impacting synaptic transmission, was detected after consumption of a high-fat diet. The resulting hypothesis is that lowered levels of BDNF may lead to lowered protein synthesis at the synapse. This contributes to mitochondrial dysfunction, which is linked to neuroinflammation and alterations in synaptic plasticity found in NDDs and the effects of a high-fat diet.

   

References 

Penna, E., Pizzella, A., Cimmino, F., Trinchese, G., Cavaliere, G., Catapano, A., Allocca, I., Chun, J. T., Campanozzi, A., Messina, G., Precenzano, F., Lanzara, V., Messina, A., Monda, V., Monda, M., Perrone-Capano, C., Mollica, M. P., & Crispino, M. (2020). Neurodevelopmental disorders: Effect of high-fat diet on synaptic plasticity and mitochondrial functions. Brain Sciences, 10(11), 805. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7694125/

 

Mental Health Professionals Report Poor Literacy for Nutritional Medicine: International Survey

Posted on by CNP Staff

Literacy among mental health professionals : Evidence supports the use of nutritional interventions for certain psychiatric symptoms, yet few studies have evaluated nutritional literacy among mental health professionals (MHPs). One such study is the online survey published by Mörkl et al. (2021), which gathered data from a sample of mental health professionals from 52 countries.

The survey collected data about general nutrition knowledge, nutrition education, learning opportunities, and the tendency to recommend or prescribe food supplements and diets. The sample included psychologists, psychiatrists, psychotherapists and MHPs in-training. Most participants were from Europe but the sample also included professionals from Asia, North America, Oceania, South America, and Africa. 

The majority of the participants (92.9%) wanted to expand their knowledge of Nutritional Psychiatry and only 0.8% of them rated their nutrition education as ‘very good’. In fact, most of the participants had no training in nutrition yet many did use nutrition approaches with their patients, with as many as 58.6% of them recommending supplements and 43.8% recommending diet strategies to their patients. Nutritional approaches to treatment were most often used for treating eating and affective disorders, followed by anxiety, psychotic, and obsessive-compulsive disorders. 

%learn about nutrition mental health %The Center for Nutritional Psychology
Diagram from: Mörkl, S., Stell, L., Buhai, D. V., Schweinzer, M., Wagner-Skacel, J., Vajda, C., … & Holasek, S. J. (2021). ‘An Apple a Day’?: Psychiatrists, Psychologists and Psychotherapists Report Poor Literacy for Nutritional Medicine: International Survey Spanning 52 Countries. Nutrients, 13(3), 822.

While most mental health professionals in the survey did not have any training in nutrition, the beliefs about nutrition reported by most of them align with what the data says. For instance, most believed that mental disorders are associated with poor nutrition and evidence shows that individuals with mental health problems often have an unhealthy lifestyle, including poor dietary choices, disordered eating behaviors, and nutritional deficiencies (Teasdale et al., 2019; Gill, 2021). Furthermore, the professionals interviewed often used nutritional approaches for affective disorders, a practice that is supported by research, including a meta-analysis of 16 randomized controlled trials which found that nutritional interventions significantly reduced symptoms of depression, especially when the interventions were provided by accredited nutritional professionals (Firth et al., 2019).

The authors of the survey hypothesized that psychiatrists may have a tendency to overrate their understanding of nutrition compared to other mental health professionals due to their medical training. This may imply that some of them may provide misguided nutrition advice due to lack of training. It is worth noticing that, in the US, for example, only 40% of medical schools reach the goal of teaching 25 h of nutrition in preclinical years (Adams, Lindell, Kohlmeier & Zeisel, 2006).

Two main points can be made out of the results of this survey. First, many mental health professionals do not use nutritional interventions, either because they are not aware of the relevance of such interventions or because they do not have the training to do it. Second, while most mental health experts do use nutritional approaches to treatment, many may lack the knowledge necessary to provide adequate nutritional counselling.  Introducing nutrition education in the educational curricula of mental health professionals may improve the quality of mental health services and, consequently, of  mental health outcomes.

 

References

Adams, K. M., Lindell, K. C., Kohlmeier, M., & Zeisel, S. H. (2006). Status of nutrition education in medical schools. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 83(4), 941S-944S.

Gill, R., Tyndall, S. F., Vora, D., Hasan, R., Megna, J. L., & Leontieva, L. (2021). Diet Quality and Mental Health Amongst Acute Inpatient Psychiatric Patients. Cureus, 13(1), e12434. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.12434

Firth, J., Marx, W., Dash, S., Carney, R., Teasdale, S. B., Solmi, M., … & Sarris, J. (2019). The effects of dietary improvement on symptoms of depression and anxiety: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Psychosomatic Medicine, 81(3), 265.

Mörkl, S., Stell, L., Buhai, D. V., Schweinzer, M., Wagner-Skacel, J., Vajda, C., … & Holasek, S. J. (2021). ‘An Apple a Day’?: Psychiatrists, Psychologists and Psychotherapists Report Poor Literacy for Nutritional Medicine: International Survey Spanning 52 Countries. Nutrients, 13(3), 822. https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/3/822

Teasdale, S. B., Ward, P. B., Samaras, K., Firth, J., Stubbs, B., Tripodi, E., & Burrows, T. L. (2019). Dietary intake of people with severe mental illness: systematic review and meta-analysis. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 214(5), 251-259.

 

Is Food Insecurity Affecting College Students’ Mental Health and Academic Performance?

Posted on by CNP Staff

Food insecurity affects over 13 million households in the U.S. alone. Food insecurity means having minimal or no access to nutritious and safe foods. While this affects every age bracket of the population ranging from infants to elderly, a recent study by Martinez, Esaryk, Moffat, and Ritchie (2020) wanted to examine the particular effect of food insecurity on the academic performance and mental health of college students.

Costs of living expenses are on the rise and college students are one of numerous populations affected. Many students do not have the ability to live on limited resources and may feel shame in asking for help. Previous studies have shown that in addition to enduring uncomfortable feelings of physical hunger, students experiencing food insecurity also show decreased academic performance. Students as a population report higher levels of depressive feelings and feelings of isolation. 

In the study at hand, Martinez et al. examined the association between food insecurity and academic performance and mental health. Over 8,000 students from the University of California public college system were selected to complete an online survey assessing Grade Point Average (GPA), food insecurity level, and student mental health.  

Food security was assessed through a validated US Department of Agriculture (USDA) 6-item short survey. The USDA short survey categorized food insecurity in the following categories: food secure, low food secure, and very low food secure. 

Students reported their grade point average (G.P.A.), and the National College Health Assessment II survey captured mental health ratings through self-reported feelings of hopelessness, overwhelm, exhaustion, loneliness, sadness, anger, and depression.

Food insecurity affects Students: Of the students included in the study, findings showed that 40% experienced food insecurity. In terms of grades, 51% of food-secure students had a cumulative A average, whereas only 30% of food-insecure students had a cumulative A average. Of those students having a C grade average, 19% of them were food insecure compared to 9% of students that were food-secure.

In terms of mental health indicators, food insecure students had significantly higher proportions of mental health indicators compared to food-secure students. 

These findings show that students experiencing hunger from food insecurity have challenges with concentration that could be affecting their academic performance. The authors state that academic performance and mental health can improve if food insecurity is addressed, and that higher education campus services can be a good place to instill intervention programs to help address food insecurity among university students.

 

References

Martinez, S. M., Frongillo, E. A., Leung, C., & Ritchie, L. (2020). No food for thought: Food insecurity is related to poor mental health and lower academic performance among students in California’s public university system. Journal of Health Psychology, 25(12), 1930–1939. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105318783028

Coleman-Jensen, A., Rabbitt, M. P., Gregory, C. and Singh, A. (2020). Household Food Security in the United States in 2019. https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/99282/err275_summary.pdf?v=4695.5

 

Suggested Further Reading

Martinez, S. M., Esaryk, E. E., Moffat, L., & Ritchie, L. (2021). Redefining Basic Needs for Higher Education: It’s More Than Minimal Food and Housing According to California University Students. American Journal of Health Promotion, 890117121992295. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/0890117121992295

Wolfson, J. A., Garcia, T., & Leung, C. W. (2021). Food Insecurity Is Associated with Depression, Anxiety, and Stress: Evidence from the Early Days of the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States. Health Equity, 5(1), 64–71. https://doi.org/10.1089/heq.2020.0059

 

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