Low calories diets can increase depression

• A new transversal study led by researchers from Toronto in Canada examined how diet can affect the symptoms of depression.
• Researchers have analyzed data from adult participants to determine whether certain types of diets may have negative implications for mental health.
• Their results showed that participants who restricted calories were more likely to have more depressed symptoms.

The majority of adults in the United States – Over 70% – are overweight or have obesityaccording to current directives. There are many ways in which people can try to lose weight, such as making changes to their diet or using medication.

A potential problem that people trying to lose weight can encounter is to restrict calories or nutrient types too much.

THE National Institutes of Health (NIH) Suggest to cut 500 to 1,000 calories per day to lose 1 to 2 pounds per week. They note that cutting sugary drinks and making simple food substitutions can go very far.

However, people often become extreme when they start trying to lose weight and severely restrict their number of calories. Others will even focus on consumption of a single food group, as with the Carnivorous regime.

Although weight loss can be important for some, it is also essential to do so in a healthy way. Extreme weight loss Or diet methods Providing physical health problems, and there is also the potential they might cause mental health problems, which researchers from this study have explored.

Depression affects millions of people each year and in the United States, depression is increasing. According to 2020 data from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)In the United States, 18.4% of adults said they had already received a diagnosis of depression.

The authors of this study noted that research shows that the consumption of healthy foods can Help mental healthand these processed foods can harm. However, researchers say that more information is necessary on the caloric and nutritional restriction, a gap they wanted to fill with this study.

The researchers used data of 28,525 adults who participated both in the national survey on health and nutrition exams (Nhanes) and the patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9). Nhanes brings together health and nutrition data while the PHQ-9 assesses depressive symptoms.

The study ranked participants in four groups:

• Limited calorie diet (8%)
• Restricted nutrient diet (3%)
• Established medical food model, such as Dash diet (2%)
• Not on any diet (87%).

The researchers compared the way participants responded to the PHQ-9 and considered factors such as Body mass index (BMI) and biological sex.

The researchers found a link between the food category in which participants and their depressive symptoms were. Overall, 7.79% of participants said they had depressed symptoms.

The people of the calorie restoration group had higher PHQ -9 overall scores – they had an increase of 0.29 points compared to other groups.

The increase was more pronounced when you only consider people with higher BMIs in the calorie catering group. Their Phq-9 score was higher by an average of 0.46 points.

Even more worrying was an association found in overweight people in the nutrient restoration group. While the nutrient restoration group had no more PHQ-9 On the whole, when they specifically examine overweight people in this group, they had a higher PHQ-9 of 0.61 points.

The researchers also noticed that certain associations emerge according to the biological sex of the participants. The researchers used the PHQ-9 to measure somatic symptoms which are physical symptoms linked to psychiatric distress.

According to study authors, “in biological men, the three diets were associated with higher somatic symptom scores”.

Men who followed a limited diet in nutrients were also more likely to have an increase in cognitive-affective symptoms.

The authors of the study believe that these associations can be attributed to men with higher calorie needs and not meet their nutritional needs thanks to their food contribution.

Amy RoethlerRDN, LD, dietitian and nutritionist of the Newport Healthcare Prareciare program, which was not involved in this research, spoke of the study with the study with the study with the study with the study with the study Medical news today.

“For many years, there has been a significant restriction of calories can cause negative impacts on its mental health, especially depressed symptoms,” said Roethler. “This study certainly provides additional support for this theory.”

The dietitian noted that, according to his experience of work with patients, they tend not to focus as much on their nutrient intake, but rather focus on the restriction of their calories, which is why it probably happens.

“In general, I find that once individuals are able to make changes to their eating habits, to eat more fruits and vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats and lean proteins, they find that they are starting to feel better, which often leads to sustained changes,” she added.

Roethler has also said that she recommends that primary care providers working with patients trying to lose weight who also have history of depression Refer to their patients to the dietitians registered to get advice.

Timothy FrieMS, CNE, neuronutritionist researcher and in nutritional psychology, also shared his reflections on the study – in which he was not involved – with Mnt.

“The conclusion that the restriction of calories is associated with increased depressive symptoms – especially in men and people with high BMI – stresses that mental health consequences can occur when food changes are made without support, surveillance or sufficiency in nutrients,” said Frie.

Frie has explained that the calorie restriction can sometimes lead people to cut the food that the body needs for mood regulations:

“The cutting of calories or whole food groups leads to deficits B vitamins (in particular B12, B6 and Folate), iron, omega -3 fatty acids and complex carbohydrates – all essential to neurochemical processes that regulate mood and emotions. »»

On this note, the authors of the study hope to seek specific nutritional deficits which can occur with a diet and what impact these deficits have on depressive symptoms.