New study explores how food choices shape mental health

The study is the first to examine the relationship between diet quality and brain neurochemistry in humans. Thirty adults were divided into two groups based on whether they followed a high- or low-quality diet. Participants in both groups were similar in age, gender, education, income, and caloric and macronutrient intake.

The quality of the diet was defined by adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Participants reported how frequently they ate 130 different food items, their consumption frequency, and food intake habits. Screening questionnaires were administered to assess current depression, anxiety, and rumination levels. Whole brain MRI scans measured prefrontal cortex metabolite concentrations and gray matter volume.

The study found that participants in the low-quality diet group had lower levels of GABA, higher levels of glutamate, and reduced gray matter volume in the brain — markers commonly seen in depression and anxiety. Those in the high-quality diet group had balanced levels of GABA and glutamate and a larger volume of gray matter in the brain....<<<Read More>>>...