Nutrition-based interventions for mood disorders

Year Published: 2021

Laís Bhering Martins, Jenneffer Rayane Braga Tibães, Marsal Sanches, Felice Jacka, Michael Berk, Antônio L Teixeira

This paper reviewed the current evidence on nutrition-mood interaction and nutrition-based treatments for the two main mood disorders, i.e., major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder.

Key Findings: According to the authors, "Consistent evidence from observational studies has pointed out the association between a 'healthy' diet, generally characterized by a higher intake of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, whole grains, and good quality sources of protein (i.e., fish and/or seafood), and decreased risk of mood disorders and the parallel association between a 'Western' diet pattern and increased risk. However, only a few clinical trials have evaluated the effect of nutritional interventions on the treatment of these conditions. The bidirectional interaction between the brain and the gut, named 'brain-gut-microbiome axis' or 'gut-brain axis', plays a key role in the link between nutrition and mood disorders. Therefore, nutrition-based strategies for gut microbiota modulation are promising fields in mood disorders."