(India) Diet and Mental Health
The CNP Diet and Mental Health (India) Research Category consolidates research exploring the interdependent relationship between dietary intake and mental health in India. To view each original study on the open internet, click “Original.” To view the CNP-written abstract summary, click “CNP Summary.” While only some of the CNP-written abstract summaries are available below for free, all abstract summaries are available to CNP members through the CNP Library Membership.
FEATURED CNP RESEARCH SUMMARY
This 2020 study explored the link between vitamin B12 deficiency and neurodevelopment among infants in India. Vitamin B12 consumption in India is low due to most of the population following a vegetarian diet. There is a connection between vitamin B12 shortages and neurodevelopmental disorders. This study used the Denver developmental screening test II (DDST II) to check for proper development in the infants. As well as this, vitamin B12 levels were assessed. The participants included in this study visited the emergency department or ward and required blood sampling or intravenous cannulation. There was a total of 200 infants included, aged 1 to 12 months old. Vitamin deficiency was detected in 43 infants (22% of the 200). After excluding a few infants due to unsuitability for DDST screening, 54% of the vitamin B12-deficient group showed slower development. Whereas 15% of the infants with sufficient levels of vitamin B12 were suspected to have delayed development. Inadequate vitamin B12 was strongly associated with an abnormal DDST. To conclude, vitamin B12 deficiency is prevalent in infants in India, and is related to neurodevelopmental delay.
2021
Junk food-induced obesity- a growing threat to youngsters during the pandemic
This 2021 study investigated the dietary habits of children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is said that this pandemic is expected to affect children the most, and that they should be more cautious eating junk foods as it can potentially contribute to compromised immunity and increased organ damage. The PAN India Survey examined 13,274 children between the ages 9-14 years. It was found that 93% of these young children and adolescents ate packed food, and 68% consumed packaged sweetened beverages more than once a week. Over half (53%) of these kids ate these products daily. The data revealed that almost a quarter of children attending school ate ultra-processed foods with high levels of sugar, salt, fat (for example pizzas and burgers) at least once a week. Children and adolescents who consume more of or are addicted to junk foods might be even more vulnerable during the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. There is an urgent need to spread awareness of junk foods’ negative effects among children and adolescents. [NPID: junk foods, COVID-19, pandemic, immunity, India, diet, processed foods, children, adolescents]
CNP Research Summary can be found in the CNP Library Membership
2016
Nutrition, brain development and cognition in infants, young children and elderly
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]
2020
Vitamin B12 status and neurodevelopmental delay in Indian infants: a hospital-based cross-sectional study
This 2020 study explored the link between vitamin B12 deficiency and neurodevelopment among infants in India. Vitamin B12 consumption in India is low due to most of the population following a vegetarian diet. There is a connection between vitamin B12 shortages and neurodevelopmental disorders. This study used the Denver developmental screening test II (DDST II) to check for proper development in the infants. As well as this, vitamin B12 levels were assessed. The participants included in this study visited the emergency department or ward and required blood sampling or intravenous cannulation. There was a total of 200 infants included, aged 1 to 12 months old. Vitamin deficiency was detected in 43 infants (22% of the 200). After excluding a few infants due to unsuitability for DDST screening, 54% of the vitamin B12-deficient group showed slower development. Whereas 15% of the infants with sufficient levels of vitamin B12 were suspected to have delayed development. Inadequate vitamin B12 was strongly associated with an abnormal DDST. To conclude, vitamin B12 deficiency is prevalent in infants in India, and is related to neurodevelopmental delay. [NPID: infants, vitamins, development, India, Indian, children, deficiency, multivitamins, micronutrients, nutrients, nutrition, malnutrition, neurodevelopment]
CNP Research Summary can be found in the CNP Library Membership
2020
Prevalence of anxiety, depression and eating disorders in women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome in North Indian population of Haryana
This 2020 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]
CNP Research Summary can be found in the CNP Library Membership
2019
Eating disorders: An overview of Indian research
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]
2019
Nutritional status, cognitive achievement, and educational attainment of children aged 8-11 in rural South India
In this 2019 study, a group of children from the rural district of Tamil Nadu, India was examined on their math and reading skills, and assessed on nutritional status by taking body measurements. Malnutrition from an early age can influence long-term outcomes such as health and income. The goal of this study was to challenge this hypothesis of cognitive development forming the connection between early-life malnutrition with long-term outcomes. Thus far, there is limited evidence on this relationship between nutritional status and cognitive development in middle childhood. In this study, there were correlations found between lower height- and weight-to-age ratios with poorer scores in reading, math, and grade level tests. The only insignificant interaction was between weight-for-age ratio and reading ability. Moreover, a stunted child had around a 33% grade disadvantage compared to a non-stunted counterpart, while an underweight kid had a 25% grade handicap relative to a non-underweight youth. Lower BMI-to-age ratio and the binary measure ‘thinness’ were both slightly associated with lower math scores. To summarize, there were connections between acute and chronic malnutrition in middle childhood with lower math and reading scores, and educational performance. Cognitive achievement may play a major role in the interaction between early-life malnutrition and long-term wellbeing. [NPID: India, children, nutrition, BMI, diet, cognitive, skill, reading, math, education, height, weight, malnutrition, health]