A recipe for resilience: A systematic review of diet and adolescent mental health

Adolescence is a critical period of vulnerability for the onset of mental health difficulties, presenting an urgent need for scalable prevention strategies. Diet is a universal, modifiable factor, yet its evidence base remains inconsistent. This systematic review synthesised evidence from controlled trials and prospective cohort studies investigating the relationship between diet and mental health in adolescents aged 10–19 years.

Searches were conducted through July 20th, 2025, and the risk of bias was assessed. Nineteen studies met the inclusion criteria: six intervention trials and thirteen cohort studies. Examined exposures included vitamin D, omega-3s, polyphenol-rich foods, Mediterranean-style diets, and overall diet quality. Depressive symptoms were the most studied outcome, but the synthesis also included anxiety, stress, well-being, and internalising/externalising indices. Across designs, healthier dietary patterns were often associated with fewer depressive symptoms, while poorer diet quality was linked to increased psychological distress.

However, the current evidence is constrained by wide variation in assessments, small samples, and significant methodological limitations, particularly with high risk or some concerns noted in half of the included intervention trials. Additionally, evidence suggests that associations may differ by sex and are often sensitive to adjustment for socioeconomic status.

Despite these challenges, the findings suggest diet as a possible, actionable target for supporting adolescent mental health. This review concludes by proposing a detailed roadmap for future research, prioritising harmonised symptom-based outcomes, biomarker-verified assessments, explicit analysis of sex and socioeconomic (SES) effects, and adequately powered trials to inform effective public health strategies for youth. [NPID: adolescence, mental health, dietary patterns, micronutrients]

Year: 2025

Reference: Tucker, J. E., Brennan, A. M., Benton, D., & Young, H. A. (2025). A recipe for resilience: A systematic review of diet and adolescent mental health. Nutrients, 17(23), 3677. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17233677

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