Red and Processed Meat Consumption and Risk of Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Depression is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide, with more than 264 million people affected. On average, depression first appears during the late teens to mid-20s as result of a complex interaction of social, psychological and biological factors. The aim of this systematic review with meta-analysis is to assess the association between red and processed meat intake and depression (both incident and prevalent). This systematic review was conducted according to the methods recommended by the Cochrane Collaboration and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Relevant papers published through March 2020 were identified by searching the electronic databases MEDLINE, Embase and Scopus. All analyses were conducted using ProMeta3 software. A critical appraisal was conducted. Finally, 17 studies met the inclusion criteria. The overall effect size (ES) of depression for red and processed meat intake was 1.08 [(95% CI = 1.04; 1.12), p-value < 0.001], based on 241,738 participants. The results from our meta-analysis showed a significant association between red and processed meat intake and risk of depression. The presented synthesis will be useful for health professionals and policy makers to better consider the effect of diet on mental health status.

Association between Urban Greenspace and Health: A Systematic Review of Literature

“…A pre-defined, customized spreadsheet was used to extract and collect useful data (Microsoft Excel ® for Windows Redmond, WA, USA, 2007). As carried out before [ 34 ], to reduce methodological heterogeneity and to standardize data extraction, the spreadsheet was pre-piloted by four researchers (V.G., G.S., R.C., A.O.-A.) on 10 randomly selected records.…”

Associations of Dietary Patterns with Incident Depression: The Maastricht Study

“…Evidence has pointed towards the involvement of food components in the monoamine synthesis, inflammation processes, regulation of hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis (HPA), and neurogenesis [ 22 ]. A higher consumption of refined and processed foods, as well as high-fat and high-sugar products is associated with higher levels of inflammation and higher risk of depression [ 23 , 24 ]. At the same time, inflammation can be one of the factors implicated in the microvascular dysfunction, which in turn can be responsible for the alterations in brain regional blood flow that were shown to be a risk factor for depression [ 25 ].…”

Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet and Self-efficacy as Mediators in the Mediation of Sleep Quality and Grades in Nursing Students

“…In contrast, a diet full of saturated fat and simple sugar increases oxidate stress, which has been associated with difficulties in attention and concentration [51]. Previous studies have shown the implication of diet on mental health, especially on depression, that indirectly impacts on quality of life, self-efficacy and academic performance [52]. Considering that the Mediterranean diet affects cognitive performance, this statement could explain the beneficial effect that the Mediterranean diet has on self-efficacy, which was found in this study.…”