A study was recently published Nutritional Neuroscience found that people who follow a healthy diet are less likely to develop anxiety disorders, while those who follow more westernized or mixed diets may face greater challenges with the severity of anxiety.
Anxiety disorders are one of the most common mental health issues worldwide, affecting approximately one in five people each year. Despite the widespread use of treatments such as therapy and medication, many people continue to struggle with anxiety, which can severely affect their quality of life. This has led scientists to look for alternative or complementary ways to manage anxiety, including changes in diet.
Previous research has often focused on specific nutrients, such as omega-3 fatty acids or vitamin D, but these studies have provided conflicting results. Recently, scientists have turned their attention to broader dietary patterns, which may provide a broader view of how food choices affect mental health.
In particular, the researchers wanted to find out how different diets could affect general mental health, specifically anxiety disorders. They were also interested in studying these effects in the context of a diverse cultural background, in this case, Iran, which has a rich and varied tradition.
To conduct the study, the researchers employed a case-control design, which involves comparing two groups of people: those with anxiety disorders and those without. The study was conducted in Tehran, Iran between 2021 and 2022 and involved 255 participants – 85 diagnosed with anxiety disorders and 170 healthy individuals.
Participants in the anxiety group were diagnosed by a psychiatrist according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), which is the most widely used guideline for diagnosing mental health conditions. Their anxiety severity was measured using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) questionnaire, an instrument that helps assess the severity of anxiety symptoms.
The researchers collected detailed information about each participant’s diet using a food frequency questionnaire designed specifically for the Iranian population. The questionnaire asked participants to recall how often they had eaten 147 different types of food in the past year. Based on this data, the researchers used a statistical method called principal component analysis to identify three major dietary patterns among the participants: the “healthy” pattern, the “Western” pattern, and the “mixed” pattern.
A healthy pattern is characterized by high consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, and low-fat dairy. The Western style included foods such as red and processed meats, sugary breakfasts, fast food, and refined grains. A mixed pattern includes elements of healthy and Western patterns, reflecting a more diverse diet that combines both aspects.
Researchers have found that people who follow a healthy diet are less likely to develop anxiety disorders. In other words, as adherence to a healthy diet increased, the likelihood of an anxiety disorder decreased. In fact, those who followed this healthy diet very closely were about 74% less likely to develop an anxiety disorder than those who did not follow this pattern.
The researchers also examined the severity of anxiety. Following a healthy diet was associated with lower anxiety severity scores on the GAD-7 questionnaire, meaning that those who ate healthier experienced less severe anxiety symptoms. On the other hand, greater adherence to Western and mixed dietary patterns was associated with higher levels of anxiety, indicating that these foods may increase anxiety symptoms.
The researchers controlled for various factors, including age, gender, energy intake, marital status, education, medication use, vitamin supplement use, smoking status, alcohol consumption, physical activity, health status, and past medical history. , and body mass index, to separate. Specific influence of dietary patterns on anxiety disorders.
But, as with all research, there are limitations. Study design—in particular, reliance on self-reported data—can introduce bias. Participants may not remember their eating habits accurately, or they may report in a way that they think is more appropriate. Additionally, research only shows a link between diet and anxiety; This does not prove that one causes the other. It is possible that people with anxiety may change their eating habits as a result of their condition, rather than their diet being the cause of their anxiety.
The study, “Association of Major Dietary Patterns with Variation and Severity of Anxiety Disorders: A Case-Control Study,” was authored by Kimia Torabinasab, Hussain Shahinfar, Shida Zeratalb-Mutalgh, Sheema Jazayeri, Mohammad Affatpanah, and Leila Azadbakht.
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