By

Kimberly Beauchamp, ND

A traditional dietary pattern was associated with a lower likelihood of depressive and anxiety disorders

Food is the substance that we put into our bodies in the largest quantity, so it makes sense that what we eat affects how we feel. A study in the American Journal of Psychiatry found that food really does influence mood, and poorer quality diets are linked to some common psychiatric problems.

In a sample of over 1,000 women 20 to 93 years old, researchers investigated the association between different dietary styles—traditional, Western, and modern—and symptoms of depression and anxiety.

• Traditional diets comprised vegetables, fruit, beef, lamb, fish, and whole grain foods.
• Western diets were characterized by processed meats, pizza, chips, hamburgers, white bread, sugar, flavored milk drinks, and beer.
• Modern diets consisted of fruits, salads, fish, tofu, beans, nuts, yogurt, and red wine.

Using a dietary questionnaire, researchers assigned a diet quality score. More points were given for eating less red meat and more fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy, and high-fiber or multi-grain breads.

Traditional food best for mood

The study found that a traditional dietary pattern was associated with a lower likelihood of depressive and anxiety disorders, whereas a Western diet was associated with a higher likelihood of psychological symptoms and disorders. Higher diet quality scores were also associated with lower levels of psychological symptoms. The modern dietary pattern didn’t have a significant impact on depression or anxiety.

“A poor quality diet may be the result of mental health symptoms, rather than the cause,” said the study’s authors. So, while the study doesn’t prove that a poor diet causes mental illness, it adds to the growing body of evidence suggesting that diet quality can affect various aspects of human health.

A closer look at traditional foods

Traditional foods…

• …have been eaten for most of human history, with the notable exception of the last century. Tofu is a traditional food; soy protein powder is not.
• …are as close as possible to the way they’re found in nature. An ear of corn is a traditional food; high fructose corn syrup is not.
• …haven’t been altered or created in a laboratory. Butter is a traditional food; margarine is not.
• …aren’t processed to remove nutrients. Whole wheat is a traditional food; white bread is not.

In other words, when in doubt, stick with the original.

(Am J Psychiatry 2010;167:1–7)

Kimberly Beauchamp, ND, earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Rhode Island and her Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine from Bastyr University in Kenmore, WA. She cofounded South County Naturopaths in Wakefield, RI, and now sees patients in East Greenwich and Wakefield. Inspired by her passion for healthful eating and her own young daughters, Dr. Beauchamp is currently writing a book about optimizing children’s health through better nutrition.

Copyright © 2012 Aisle7. All rights reserved. www.Aisle7.net

By

Jane Hart, MD

A new study found that people who took a probiotic formula for 30 days reported relief from depression and anxiety.

If winter doldrums or post-holiday blues have you feeling down, you may be interested in new research which links probiotics (“good” bacteria) to improving people’s mood. A new study in the British Journal of Nutrition found that people who took a specific probiotic formula for 30 days reported relief from psychological distress.

Probiotics may protect your mind

A preliminary animal study by the authors of this study showed that the probiotic formulation reduced anxiety in rats. In this study, they looked at the effects of a probiotic formula on mood, stress, and coping strategies in humans.

A total of 55 healthy men and women were randomly assigned to a daily probiotic formula (Lactobacillus helveticus R0052 andBifidobacterium longum R0175) or placebo for 30 days. Before and after treatment the participants filled out a variety of questionnaires about mood, stress, and coping and had a 24-hour urine collection for cortisol levels (one indicator of stress).

Results showed that compared with the placebo group, the probiotic group reported greater relief from depression, anger–hostility, anxiety, and the kind of worry that leads to physical symptoms (somatization). Urinary cortisol levels were lower in the probiotic group compared with the placebo group.

“Subject to the confirmation of these results, probiotics might offer a useful novel therapeutic approach to neuropathological disorders and/or as adjunct therapies in psychiatric disorders,” said lead author Michael Messaoudi, from the Department of Neuropsychopharmacology, at ETAP-Ethologie Applique´e,Vandoeuvre-le`s-Nancy, France, and his colleagues. This study was funded by Rosell-Lallemand, the makers of the probiotic formula provided in this study.

Increasing benefits of probiotics

• Healthy bacteria are important for our health. “Good” bacteria that live naturally throughout our body – including in our gastrointestinal tract and on our skin – are essential for our health. Although you can’t see these bacteria they are helping to keep up our defense against illness and infection. Probiotic formulas introduce these “healthy” living organisms into the body and are one way to enhance the balance of “good” bacteria in our system.

• Research shows increasing health benefits of probiotics. Probiotics have been shown to ease gastrointestinal illness and prevent winter colds, but researchers are learning that probiotics may have far-reaching effects on the body and may provide benefit for our central nervous system and brain as well.

• We have more to learn. Although we are learning that probiotics administered in specific amounts may improve our health, we have more to learn about the adequate dose, timing and route of delivery to optimize health results.

(Br J Nutr 2010: doi:10.1017/S0007114510004319)

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