Healthy and Unhealthy Dietary Patterns Are Related to Depression: A Case-Control Study

Abstract

ObjectiveMajor depressive disorder is the leading cause of disability around the world. The relationship between depression and dietary patterns has been reported in a few studies but with controversial results. This study aimed to investigate this relationship in an Iranian population.MethodsIn our study, 330 depressed patients (cases) and healthy people (controls) (1:2) were individually matched according to age, sex and area of residence. New cases of depression were recruited from two psychiatric clinics in Tehran. Interviewers went to each patient's residential area, and invited qualified individuals to participate in the study as controls. Food intake over the past year was collected using a validated semi quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Dietary patterns were determined by the principal components method. Binary logistic regression was used to test the effect of dietary patterns on depression.ResultsWe identified two major dietary patterns by using factor analysis: the healthy and unhealthy dietary patterns. We categorized the scores of these patterns to quartiles. After adjusting for non-depression drug use, job, marital status, children number, and body mass index, the relations of depression and quartiles of two dietary patterns are significant (p=0.04 & p=0.01, respectively). Compared with participants in the lowest quartile, those in the highest quartile had significantly lower odds ratio (OR) for depression in healthy dietary pattern, and higher OR for depression in unhealthy dietary pattern.ConclusionThis study indicates that healthy and unhealthy dietary patterns may be associated with the risk of depression. The results can be used for developing interventions that aim to promote healthy eating for the prevention of depression.

Dietary patterns are associated with the prevalence of alexithymia

“…It has been suggested that unhealthy dietary patterns could increase the risk of depression (Khosravi, Sotoudeh, Majdzadeh et al ., ). Robino et al .…”

“…It has been suggested that unhealthy dietary patterns could increase the risk of depression (Khosravi, Sotoudeh, Majdzadeh et al, 2015). Robino et al (2016) found differences in food liking and taste between general population subjects with higher and lower alexithymic scores.…”

Double‐blind, randomized crossover study of intravenous infusion of magnesium sulfate versus 5% dextrose on depressive symptoms in adults with treatment‐resistant depression

“…These factors portend a high risk of developing CVD. Depression has also been hypothesized as an independent risk factor for CVD and increases the associated morbidity and mortality via different mechanisms and pathways . Unhealthy dietary patterns associated with depression result in the inadequate consumption of folate, Mg, and omega‐3 fatty acids, which is a risk factor for CVD as well .…”

There is No Association Between the Omega-3 Index and Depressive Symptoms in Patients With Heart Disease Who Are Low Fish Consumers

“…Different dietary patterns including pro-inflammatory diets have been linked to increased risk of depression [55], [56] although a recent meta-analysis highlighted the variability in findings [57]. The association between fish consumption specifically and risk of depression was recently reviewed with results from a meta-analysis concluding that high fish consumption was associated with reduced risk of depression, the pooled risk ratio of depression for the highest versus lowest consumption of fish being 0.83 (95% CI 0.74 to 0.93) [58].…”