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Improving diet for psychiatric patients: high potential benefits and evidence for safety
In this review, Fond et al. (2020) discuss the most recent meta-analyses carried out in the field of psychonutrition in severe mental disorders. Their aim was to showcase recent findings in order to inform nutritional interventions in psychiatry. The Mediterranean diet has demonstrated the strongest evidence for effectiveness in reducing incidence of depressive symptomatology. Some of its main constituents — such as omegas 3 fatty acids, vitamin D, methylfolate and S-adenosylmethionine — have also individually been associated with a lower prevalence of depression. Secondly, the Healthy Eating Index (HEI) has been correlated with a lower incidence of depression. In other studies, major depression has been linked with inflammatory interference, while lower levels of depression have been seen in people who consume diets with low Dietary Inflammatory Index. Inflammation may be mediated by altered microbiota in the gut. Reducing caloric intake by 20% and/or intermittent fasting (fasting for 12 to 16 hours per day) has shown to enhance the microbiota and improve psychiatric outcomes. Supplementation with probiotics has also demonstrated effectiveness in treating depression. Finally, diets high in protein have shown promise. To conclude, the authors state that modifying the diets of psychiatric patients may be an underused tool that could improve mental and physical health. [NPID: depression, psychiatric disorders, zinc, major depressive disorder, MDD, inflammation, gut microbiota, intermittent fasting, probiotics, protein]
Year: 2020
