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Cited by 287Nutritional Studies and DietFatty Acid Research and HealthMental Health Treatment and Access

Dietary recommendations for the prevention of depression

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Opie, R.S., Itsiopoulos, C., Parletta, N., Sanchez-Villegas, A., Akbaraly, T.N., Ruusunen, A., Jacka, F.N.·2017·Nutritional Neuroscience
DOI 10.1179/1476830515y.0000000043
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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Major depressive disorder is a common, chronic condition that imposes a substantial burden of disability globally. As current treatments are estimated to address only one-third of the disease burden of depressive disorders, there is a need for new approaches to prevent depression or to delay its progression. While in its early stages, converging evidence from laboratory, population research, and clinical trials now suggests that dietary patterns and specific dietary factors may influence the risk for depression. However, largely as a result of the recency of the nutritional psychiatry field, there are currently no dietary recommendations for depression. AIM: The aim of this paper is to provide a set of practical dietary recommendations for the prevention of depression, based on the best available current evidence, in order to inform public health and clinical recommendations. RESULTS: Five key dietary recommendations for the prevention of depression emerged from current published evidence. These comprise: (1) follow 'traditional' dietary patterns, such as the Mediterranean, Norwegian, or Japanese diet; (2) increase consumption of fruits, vegetables, legumes, wholegrain cereals, nuts, and seeds; (3) include a high consumption of foods rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids; (4) replace unhealthy foods with wholesome nutritious foods; (5) limit your intake of processed-foods, 'fast' foods, commercial bakery goods, and sweets. CONCLUSION: Although there are a number of gaps in the scientific literature to date, existing evidence suggests that a combination of healthful dietary practices may reduce the risk of developing depression. It is imperative to remain mindful of any protective effects that are likely to come from the cumulative and synergic effect of nutrients that comprise the whole-diet, rather than from the effects of individual nutrients or single foods. As the body of evidence grows from controlled intervention studies on dietary patterns and depression, these recommendations should be modified accordingly.

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  • Traditional dietary patterns from many parts of the world, such as the Norwegian and Japanese diets, also show protective associations and are correlated with reduced risk of developing depression or Alzheimer's disease as well as a general slowing of cognitive decline.

    “Although the Mediterranean diet is the dietary pattern most studied in regard to health outcomes, including mental health (201), traditional dietary patterns from many parts of the world (e.g., the Norwegian and Japanese diets) also show protective associations (302, 303) and are correlated with reduced risk of developing depression or Alzheimer's disease as well as a general slowing of cognitive”

    From Diet and the Microbiota–Gut–Brain Axis: Sowing the Seeds of Good Mental Health (2021) · cites this paper as [303]

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Authors
Opie, R. S., Itsiopoulos, C., Parletta, N., Sanchez-Villegas, A., Akbaraly, T. N., Ruusunen, A., & Jacka, F. N.
Affiliations
  • La Trobe University (AU)
  • University of South Australia (AU)
  • International Society for Nutritional Psychiatry Research (ISNPR), Melbourne, Australia
  • Inserm (FR)
  • University of Eastern Finland (FI)
  • Deakin University (AU)
Corresponding author
Jacka, F.N.
ORCID
Venue
Nutritional Neuroscience
Publisher
Informa UK Limited
Published
2016-03-02
Volume
20
Issue
3
Pages
161-171
ISSN
  • 1028-415X (ISSN-L)
  • 1476-8305
DOI
10.1179/1476830515y.0000000043
OpenAlex
W1905033631
Cited by
287
References
107
Citations by year
2026: 12 · 2025: 48 · 2024: 33 · 2023: 29 · 2022: 37 · 2021: 31 · 2020: 34 · 2019: 25 · 2018: 20 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 10
FWCI
13.58
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • Nutritional Neuroscience (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • HAL (submittedVersion)
  • RMIT Research Repository (RMIT University Library) (submittedVersion)
  • Adelaide Research & Scholarship (AR&S) (University of Adelaide) (submittedVersion)
  • Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Figshare (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Nutritional Studies and Diet
  • Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Fatty Acid Research and Health
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Mental Health Treatment and Access
Keywords
depression prevention, dietary recommendations, nutritional psychiatry, dietary habits, Mediterranean diet, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, fruit and vegetable intake, whole grains, Fabaceae, nuts and seeds, processed foods, fast food, traditional diet
MeSH terms
Diet, Healthy, Adolescent, Adult, Animals, Child, Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena, Chronic Disease, Depression, Depressive Disorder, Major, Major Depressive Disorder, Humans, Risk, Global Health, Fatty Acids, Omega-3, Comorbidity, Adolescent Nutritional Physiological Phenomena, Nutrition Policy, Evidence-Based Medicine, Fast Foods

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