Linking what we eat to our mood: A review of diet, dietary antioxidants, and depression

This 2019 review investigated the benefits of dietary patterns and consumption of certain foods on depression. The balanced Mediterranean Diet was found to reduce risk of depressive symptoms, while the Western Diet consisting of more saturated fats and refined sugars would more likely lead to depression by disturbing gut microflora and reducing nutrient absorption. Furthermore, sugar intake in sugar-sweetened drinks was positively associated with depression, while the consumption of certain foods such as fish, fruits, and vegetables had a beneficial effect on symptoms. The use of the antioxidants green tea polyphenols or isoflavonoid have been shown to reduce signs of depression. The influences of food and nutrients are important factors to consider when clinically treating depression. [NPID: mood, happiness, well-being, psychological distress, diet, nutrition, mental health, depression, mediterranean diet, saturated fat, refined sugar, gut microbiota, microbiome, nutrient absorption, fish, fruits, vegetables, green tea, polyphenols]

Year: 2019

Reference: Huang, Q., Liu, H., Suzuki, K., Ma, S., & Liu, C. (2019). Linking What We Eat to Our Mood: A Review of Diet, Dietary Antioxidants, and Depression. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland), 8(9), 376. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox8090376