Consideration of nutritional value and food labels are associated with food intake in adults with depression

Background/Aims: Individuals with depression are more likely to consume poor diets and as a result are at increased risk of poor cardiometabolic health. Healthy diet may reduce depressive symptoms, however better understanding is needed of factors that support healthy eating in this population. There is limited evidence about how much consideration of the nutritional value of foods may be associated with food choices. The aim of this study was to investigate associations between food intake and consideration of nutritional value of foods in adults with depression. Methods: Adults (n = 161) with depression completed a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire and shopping and budgeting questionnaire. Associations between consideration of nutritional value and nutrition label use with vegetable, wholegrain, legume, snack food and soft drink intake were evaluated using linear regression, adjusting for age, gender and education. Results: In adjusted models, more consideration of the nutrition value of foods was positively associated with vegetable intake (β = 0.188; p = 0.025), wholegrain intake (β = 0.213; p = 0.015) and negatively associated with snack food intake (β = -0.236, p = 0.006). More frequent reading of nutrition labels was positively associated with legume intake (β = 0.185; p = 0.036). Better understanding of nutrition labels was positively associated with vegetable intake (β = 0.780; p = 0.035), wholegrain intake (β = 0.233; p = 0.008), and legume intake (β = 0.254; p = 0.004). There were no associations between soft drink intake and nutrition value consideration or nutrition label use. Conclusions: These findings suggest that increasing consideration of the nutrition value of foods and nutrition label use may support healthy eating in adults with depression

Comparison of school day eating behaviours of 8–11 year old children from Adelaide, South Australia, and London, England

Abstract: Objective: School food intake makes a considerable contribution to children’s overall diet, especially fruit and vegetable intake. Comparing differing school food provision systems can provide novel insights for intervention and improved nutrition policy. This study compared school day food in children from Australia and England. Design: Children completed food frequency questionnaires reporting school day food intake, breakfast intake and family evening meals. Differences in school day food intake consumed between Australia and England were evaluated. Multinomial logistic regressions compared fruit and vegetable intake, family dinner frequency and breakfast in Australian and English children adjusting for confounders: Age, sex, ethnicity and parent education. Setting: 27 Primary schools in Adelaide, Australia and 32 in London, England. Subjects: N = 772 children aged 8–11 years from the Australian REACH study (n = 347) and UK RHS School Gardening Trial in England (n = 425). Results: Considerably more English children reported consuming vegetables at school than Australian children (recess/lunchtime Australian children 3.4/6.1%; English children recess/lunctime 3.6/51.1%). However, Australian children were more likely to consume vegetables daily (OR = 4.1; 1.3, 12.5), and have family evening meals everyday [OR = 4.01; 1.88, 8.55], and were less likely to consume breakfast (OR = 0.26; 0.08, 0.79) than English children. Conclusions: Findings indicate that provision of a school lunch meal, compared to a packed lunch from home, may be more supportive of children’s vegetable intake. However, without a supportive home environment that encourages vegetable intake, children will not be able to consume sufficient amounts of vegetables

A Mediterranean-style dietary intervention supplemented with fish oil improves diet quality and mental health in people with depression: a randomized controlled trial (HELFIMED)

We investigated whether a Mediterranean-style diet (MedDiet) supplemented with fish oil can improve mental health in adults suffering depression.Adults with self-reported depression were randomized to receive fortnightly food hampers and MedDiet cooking workshops for 3 months and fish oil supplements for 6 months, or attend social groups fortnightly for 3 months. Assessments at baseline, 3 and 6 months included mental health, quality of life (QoL) and dietary questionnaires, and blood samples for erythrocyte fatty acid analysis.n = 152 eligible adults aged 18-65 were recruited (n = 95 completed 3-month and n = 85 completed 6-month assessments). At 3 months, the MedDiet group had a higher MedDiet score (t = 3.95, P < 0.01), consumed more vegetables (t = 3.95, P < 0.01), fruit (t = 2.10, P = 0.04), nuts (t = 2.29, P = 0.02), legumes (t = 2.41, P = 0.02) wholegrains (t = 2.63, P = 0.01), and vegetable diversity (t = 3.27, P < 0.01); less unhealthy snacks (t = -2.10, P = 0.04) and red meat/chicken (t = -2.13, P = 0.04). The MedDiet group had greater reduction in depression (t = -2.24, P = 0.03) and improved mental health QoL scores (t = 2.10, P = 0.04) at 3 months. Improved diet and mental health were sustained at 6 months. Reduced depression was correlated with an increased MedDiet score (r = -0.298, P = 0.01), nuts (r = -0.264, P = 0.01), and vegetable diversity (r = -0.303, P = 0.01). Other mental health improvements had similar correlations, most notably for increased vegetable diversity and legumes. There were some correlations between increased omega-3, decreased omega-6 and improved mental health.This is one of the first randomized controlled trials to show that healthy dietary changes are achievable and, supplemented with fish oil, can improve mental health in people with depression.Natalie Parletta, Dorota Zarnowiecki, Jihyun Cho, Amy Wilson, Svetlana Bogomolova, Anthony Villani, Catherine Itsiopoulos, Theo Niyonsenga, Sarah Blunden, Barbara Meyer, Leonie Segal, Bernhard T. Baune and Kerin O’De