ISSN 1671-3710
CN 11-4766/R
主办:中国科学院心理研究所
出版:科学出版社

Advances in Psychological Science ›› 2015, Vol. 23 ›› Issue (12): 2107-2117.doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1042.2015.02107

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Diet, Nutrition, and Depression

YU Bin1,2; NIU Kaijun1   

  1. (1 Nutritional Epidemiology Institute and School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China)
    (2 Institute of Psychology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China)
  • Received:2015-02-09 Online:2015-12-15 Published:2015-12-15
  • Contact: NIU Kaijun, E-mail: nkj0809@163.com

Abstract:

The association between diet, nutrition and depression has become of increasing interest in recent decades. In the past, most studies have focused on the association of depression with specific nutrients or foods, within which n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3PUFAs) and folate have received significant attention. There has been a shift in focus from the study of single nutrient or food toward total diet and dietary patterns in recent years. Mechanisms of action proposed to explain these consistent relationships include inflammatory processes, oxidative stress and brain-derived neurothrophic factor (BDNF). A limitation associated with many of the studies reviewed is that significant portions were correlational and/or epidemiological, thereby limiting conclusions about causation. Further studies with emphasis on the investigation of the underlying mechanism and applying values are necessary to confirm the findings obtained in these initial studies.

Key words: depression, diet, nutrition, dietary patterns