• A New Cross-Sectional Study LED by Researchers from Toronto, Canada Examined How Dieting May Affect Depression Symptoms.
  • The Refracchers Analyzed Data from Adult participants to determine whether certain types of diets can have negative implications for mental Health.
  • Their Findings Showed that participants who restricted calories were More Likely to have more depressive symptoms.

The Majority of Adults in the United States – More than 70% – Are Eithher Overweight or Have Obesity, According to Current Guidelines. There are many ways People can attempt to lise weight, Such as Making Changes to Their Diet Or Using Medications.

One potential issue People Trying to Lose Weight May Come across is restricting calories or nutrient types too a lot.

The National Institute of Health (NIH) Suggest Cutting 500 to 1,000 calories per day to lose 1 to 2 pounds per Week. They Note That Cutting out Sugarry Drinks and Making Simple Food substitutions can go a long way.

However, People Offen Go Extreme When They Start Trying to Lose Weight and Severely Restrict Eyr Calorie Count. Others Will Even Focus On Eating Only One Food Group Such As With The Carnivore Diet.

WHILE LOSING WEIGHT CAN BE IMPACT FOR SOM, IT IS ALSO VITAL TO DO IT IN A HEALTHY MANNER. Extreme Weight Loss or dieting methods cause Physical Health Issues, and there is also the potential they might cause mental Health Issues, which the reviewers in the present Study Explored.

The Study Findings Appear in BMJ Nutrition Prevention & Health.

Linking Diet and Mental Health

Depression Affects Millions of People Every Year, and in The US, Cases of Depression Are On The Rise. According to 2020 Data from The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)18.4% of adults in the US reported Ever Having prescribed to depression diagnosis.

The Authors of The Current Study Note That Research Shows That Eating Healthy Foods Can Help Mental Health, and That Processsed Foods Can Harm It. However, The Researchers Say That More Information is Needed On Calorie and Nutrient Restriction, A Gap they Wted to Close with This Study.

The Refrachers used data from 28,525 adults who participated in that the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (Nhanes) and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). The Nhanes Gathers Data On Health and Nutrition While The PHQ-9 Asseses Depressive Symptoms.

The Study Categorized Participants Into Four Groups:

  • heat-recovered diet (8%)
  • Nutrient-recreated diet (3%)
  • Establish Medical Dietary Pattern, Such as The Dash Diet (2%)
  • Not on Any Diet (87%).

The Refracchers Compared How the Participants responded to the PHQ-9 and Considers Factors Such as Body Mass Index (BMI) and Biological Sex.

Men on Low-Calorie Diets May Face Highest Mental Health Risk

The Refrachers Found A Connection Between The Diet Category The Participants were in and their depressive symptoms. Overall, 7.79% of the participants reported Having Depressive Symptoms.

People in the Calorie-Restriction Group Had Higher Overall Phq-9 Scores-They had an increase of 0.29 Points Compared to the Other Groups.

The Increase Was More Pronounced When considering only People with Higher Bmis in the Calorie-Restriction Group. Their PHQ-9 Score was Higher by an average of 0.46 points.

Even More concerning was an association Found in overweight People in the nutrient-recreation group. While The Nutrient-Restriction Group Did Not Have a Higher Phq-9 Score Overall, When Looking Specifically at Overweight People in This Group, They had Higher Phq-9 of 0.61 Points.

The Refers Also Notico Associations emerges depending on the biological sex of the participants. The Refrachers used the phq-9 to Measure Somatic Symptoms which are Physical Symptoms Related to Psychiatric Distress.

According to the Study Authors, “In Biological Men, All Three Dietary Patterns Were Associated With Higher Somatic Symptom Scores.”

Men Who Were On A Nutrient-Restricted Diet Were Also More Likely to have increased in cognitive-factive symptoms.

The Study Authors Think these Associations May Be Attributed To Men Having Higher Caloric Needs and Not Getting Their Nutritional Needs Met Through their Food Intake.

WHY MIGHT HEATER RESTRICTION IMPACT Mental Health?

Amy Roethler, RDN, LD, to Dieitian and Nutritionist for Newport Healthcare’s Prairiecare Program, Who Was Not Involved in This Research, Spoke about the Study With Medical News Today.

“For many years, There have been suspicious that significant heat restriction can read to negative impacts on one’s mental Health, Specifically Depressive Symptoms,” Roethler Said. “This Study Certainly Provides Additional Support to This Theory.”

The Dieitian Note Hat, From Her Experience Working With Patients That They Te Focus As Much OnS Nutrient INTAKE BUT INSERAD FOCUS MORE ON RETIRTE CORREES WHICH IS WHY THIS LIKELY HAPPENS.

“In general, i finding eleven individuals are uble to make subject to their eating habits, Eating more fruits and vegetables, Whole Grains, Healthy Fats, and Lean Proteins, they find they start to Feel Better, Which Often Leads to Sustaled Changes,” She Added.

Roethler Also Said She Recommends That Primary Care Providers Who Are Working With Patients Trying To Lose Weight Who Also Have A History of Depression Refé Their ES Patients to Registred Dieted Dieted for Guidance.

Timothy Frie, MS, CNE, A Neuronutritionist and Nutrition MNT.

“The Finding That Calorie Restriction is Associated With Increased Depressive Symptoms – Specially in Men and PEOPL Said Frie.

FRIE EXPLAINED THAT CALORIE RESTRICTION CAN SUBSTIMES LEAD TO PEOPLE CUTTING OUT FOODS THAT THE BODY NEEDS FOR MOOD REGULATION:

“Cutting calories or Entire Food Groups Leads to Deficits in B vitamins (Specially B12, B6, and forate), Iron, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, and Complex Carbohydrates-All Essential for Neurochemical Process that regulates Mood and Emotions.”

On This Note, The Study Authors Hope to Research Specific Nutritional Deficits That May Oscur with Dieting and What Impact Those Deficits have on depressive symptoms.