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Testing the causal relationship of fat and sugar intake with depression and cortisol: a Mendelian Randomisation study
Poor diets, especially those heavy in fat and sugar, can have a detrimental effect on mental health and raise the risk of stress and Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Conversely, MDD and stress might also influence food choices and intake. However, it remains unclear whether there is a causal relationship between diet—specifically fat and sugar consumption—and stress or MDD or if this relationship is bi-directional. This study by Buczkowska & Iob (2024) used Mendelian Randomization (MR) to explore the causal relationship between fat and sugar intake and MDD and cortisol (a stress proxy) levels while also examining the direction of this relationship. Bidirectional analyses were conducted, with macronutrients as exposures in one analysis and MDD/cortisol as exposures in another. The study found that higher genetically predicted sugar intake was associated with a lower risk of MDD, while MDD was not found to be associated with sugar consumption. Associations between other pairs of variables were weak and unclear. The study’s limitations include low SNP-based heritability for certain exposures, potential unmeasured confounders, and the reliance on self-reported MDD data. The findings suggest that targeting sugar-related mechanisms through lifestyle or pharmacological interventions could help alleviate depressive symptoms. Still, more research is needed on the long-term effects of sugar consumption on MDD risk. Future research should examine the potential effects of various sugar varieties and dosages on stress and mood. [NPID: unhealthy diet, fat and sugar intake, major depressive disorder, stress, mendelian randomisation, sugar consumption, cortisol, genetic association, food choices, psychological health]
Year: 2024
