Link between food and mood
In a comment, Stephanie S. Faubion, MD, MBA, a professor and chair of the department of medicine and the Penny and Bill George director of the Mayo Clinic’s Center for Women’s Health in Rochester, Minn., noted the study was cross-sectional and therefore the direction of the association could not be determined and “causality cannot be assumed.”
It is possible that “depressed women are less likely to eat fiber than women without depression. For example, a depressed woman may be more likely to sit on the couch eating Cheetos than shopping for and preparing a healthy meal,” said Dr. Faubion, who is also the medical director of the North American Menopause Society and was not involved with the study.
She noted that other potential confounders, including access to fresh fruits and vegetables or geographic locations could also “impact the findings and .”
Nevertheless, the study does “add to the body of evidence suggesting a link between diet and overall health, including brain health,” Dr. Faubion said.
One take-home message for practicing clinicians is that a healthy diet that includes fiber may benefit women (and men) for a number of reasons and “appears to be linked to mood.”
More research is needed “to determine the pathophysiologic mechanisms (such as potential brain-gut connection that involves the microbiome) that may explain this association,” Dr. Faubion added.
No source of funding listed. Dr. Kim and coauthors, as well as Dr. Faubion, disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.