Diet, Stress and Mental Health

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: J. Douglas Bremner, Emory University; Kasra Moazzami, Emory University; Matthew T. Wittbrodt, Emory University; Jonathon Nye, Emory University; Bruno B. Lima, Emory University; Charles Gillespie, Emory University; Mark Rapaport, Emory University; Bradley Pearce, Emory University; Amit Shah, Emory University; Viola Vaccarino, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2020-08-01
• Publisher: MDPI
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2020 by the authors.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/nu12082428
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: NUTRIENTS
• Volume: 12
• Issue: 8
• Start Page: 1
• End Page: 27
• Grant/Funding Information: The work presented in this review was supported by grants from the NIH R01 MH056120, R01 HL088726, K24 MH076955, P01 HL101398, T32 MH067547, K24 HL077506, R01 HL068630, R01 HL109413, K23 HL127251, R01 HL125246, S10 RR16917.
• Keywords: diet; metabolic syndrome; MEDITERRANEAN DIET; FREELY MOVING CATS; depressive disorder; galanin; DOUBLE-BLIND; stress disorders; MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER; CORONARY-HEART-DISEASE; child abuse; Mediterranean diet; POLYUNSATURATED FATTY-ACIDS; nutrition; Nutrition & Dietetics; Science & Technology; brain; QUALITY-OF-LIFE; microbiome; somatostatin; serotonin; SINGLE-UNIT RESPONSE; obesity; RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED-TRIAL; coronary artery disease; myocardial ischemia; LOCUS-CERULEUS; cardiovascular disease; posttraumatic; ghrelin; Life Sciences & Biomedicine
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Medicine and Surgery; Health Sciences, Public Health; Health Sciences, Nutrition

Abstract

Introduction: There has long been an interest in the effects of diet on mental health, and the interaction of the two with stress; however, the nature of these relationships is not well understood. Although associations between diet, obesity and the related metabolic syndrome (MetS), stress, and mental disorders exist, causal pathways have not been established. Methods: We reviewed the literature on the relationship between diet, stress, obesity and psychiatric disorders related to stress. Results: Diet and obesity can affect mood through direct effects, or stress-related mental disorders could lead to changes in diet habits that affect weight. Alternatively, common factors such as stress or predisposition could lead to both obesity and stress-related mental disorders, such as depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Specific aspects of diet can lead to acute changes in mood as well as stimulate inflammation, which has led to efforts to assess polyunsaturated fats (PUFA) as a treatment for depression. Bidirectional relationships between these different factors are also likely. Finally, there has been increased attention recently on the relationship between the gut and the brain, with the realization that the gut microbiome has an influence on brain function and probably also mood and behavior, introducing another way diet can influence mental health and disorders. Brain areas and neurotransmitters and neuropeptides that are involved in both mood and appetite likely play a role in mediating this relationship. Conclusions: Understanding the relationship between diet, stress and mood and behavior could have important implications for the treatment of both stress-related mental disorders and obesity.