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Healthy and unhealthy dietary patterns are related to depression: A case-control study
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is implicated in the majority of disabling health outcomes across the globe. Some works reported on the links between depression and dietary habits, however, the results remained inconclusive. In this case-control study by Khosravi et al. (2015), the authors examine the relationship between diet and depression in a sample of 330 depressed patients and 660 healthy controls. The participants were matched with respect to age, sex, and community, and had their annual food intake retrospectively assessed using a validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Through data analysis, two major dietary patterns were successfully identified: a healthy pattern (defined as a diet rich in “fruits, cruciferous, yellow, green leafy and other vegetables, low-fat dairy, whole grains, nuts, and olives”) and unhealthy dietary pattern (defined as a diet rich in “refined grains and breads, high-fat dairy, solid oils, liquid oils and mayonnaise, pickle, snacks, soft drinks, industrial fruits and juice, red meats, poultry, processed meats, and sweets”). After taking several variables into account, such as non-depression drug use, employment, marital status, family size, and body mass index, it was discovered that consuming a healthy diet was substantially associated with a lower prevalence of depression while consuming an unhealthy diet was associated with a higher prevalence for depression. In summary, the authors demonstrate that healthy and unhealthy dietary patterns are linked to depression risk and that these results may be utilized in fashioning interventions that promote healthy dietary strategies to prevent depression. [NPID: Major depressive disorder, epidemiology, nutrition, dietary pattern, depression]
Year: 2015
