(India) Diet and Mental Health

The aim of this 2019 review is to summarize the Indian literature on eating disorders, to present the current relevant trends, and to raise awareness of the holes in this area of research. With studies being conducted periodically, there has yet to be a summary of the available Indian literature. Therefore, these reviewers searched various large electronic databases for relevant peer-reviewed articles written in English. The search consisted of combined medical subject headings and free text terms such as “eating disorders,” “anorexia nervosa,” “bulimia,” “treatment,” “epidemiology,” “comorbidity,” “management,” “medications,” “behavioral intervention,” and “psychosocial intervention”. Over the last decade, the amount of research conducted on eating disorders in India has been rising, but there is a relatively low supply of original work. Due to the cultural differences between the east and the west, there are variations in the presentation of eating disorders, and there appears to be other challenges in its diagnosis depending on region. There is a need for the development of culturally sensitive instruments for diagnosis, as well as more locally relevant data on trends pertinent to eating disorders. [NPID: review, India, Indian, culture, eating disorder, eating, behavior, Anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa]

This 2019 article discusses the problems associated with polycystic ovary syndrome, a disease that affects women’s long-term physical and mental health. Most adolescents and women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (POS) are worried about the disease’s impact on their physical appearance such as acne, hirsutism (abnormal hair growth on face and body), and obesity. Therefore, this may create a negative body image, leading to low self-esteem, and eventually the development of anxiety, depression and eating disorders. The aim of this study was to find out how prevalent these psychological disorders (anxiety, depression, eating disorders) are in patients with POS. Women were recruited from a hospital in northern India and its connected clinics. Compared to healthy women without POS (control group), the women with POS showed significantly higher prevalence rates of depression and anxiety. The group with polycystic ovary syndrome also consisted of more women with higher BMIs (over 25), moderate to severe anxiety, and moderate to severe depression, relative to the control group. There was, however, no notable difference in odds of eating disorder between the two study groups. To conclude, women with polycystic ovary syndrome are at greater risk of developing moderate to severe depression and anxiety. [NPID: depression, anxiety, polycystic ovary syndrome, POS, eating disorders, diet, mental health, women, obesity, India, Indian]

This 2016 article summarizes the role that nutrition plays in brain development and cognition throughout the human life cycle. Constant exposure to new stimuli is needed for cognitive development and brain growth in infants and young children. Diet and intellectual stimulation are also crucial during infancy and childhood for optimal brain function and development. Infants require adequate nutrition through breast-feeding, while children need to obtain adequate amounts of micronutrient-rich and age-appropriate foods. In addition, genetic and environmental factors interact to provide a basis for physical growth, cognitive and socio-emotional development. Up to adulthood, experience-dependent learning enhances cognitive ability and socio-emotional functioning. Conversely, factors such as poor health, living in poverty, and violent experiences may result in loss of intellectual, emotional, physical, and economical potential. But maternal education and food security can speed up early socio-emotional development, positively affecting the child’s cognition and preventing him/her from malnutrition and stunting. As for the elderly, the role of nutrition in preventing cognitive impairment is still unclear. High homocysteine levels in the blood have been linked with cognitive decline as well as deficiencies in folic acid and vitamin B12. [NPID: nutrition, brain, development, cognition, infants, children, elderly, malnutrition, micronutrients]