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The Interdependence of Nutrition and Mental Well-Being

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A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutrition and Public Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 May 2025 | Viewed by 13266

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Fotini Tsofliou

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Guest Editor

Department of Rehabilitation and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Bournemouth University, Bournemouth BH1 3LT, UK
Interests: obesity; appetite regulation; dietary patterns/quality; food groups; nutrients; metabolic health and disease; mood state; systematic reviews; nutrition interventions

Dr. Sumanto Haldar

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Guest Editor

Department of Rehabilitation and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Bournemouth University, Bournemouth BH1 3LT, UK
Interests: nutrients; foods and food components; cardiometabolic diseases; biomarkers; dietary interventions

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Diets and dietary components can have both protective and deleterious associations with anxiety, stress, low mood and poor mental health and cognitive function. Similarly, the status of emotional and mental health also affects dietary choices and lifestyle habits. This Special Issue welcomes articles that provide insights into the bidirectional relationships between diet quality/patterns, dietary components and cognitive and psychological health and well-being. We hope that this Special Issue will enable us to compile the latest advances to deepen our understanding of how dietary patterns and dietary components (foods and nutrients) exert their effects on cognitive function and mental well-being, as well as elucidating underlying mechanisms, with the aim of identifying effective dietary strategies to improve psychological and physical well-being. We invite you to submit original research (both experimental and observational research) papers, reviews, systematic reviews, meta-analyses to this Special Issue to broaden our knowledge and open new research directions.

Dr. Fotini Tsofliou
Dr. Sumanto Haldar
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nutrients is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

diets
diet patterns
foods
nutrients
mental well-being
cognitive function
psychological health
biomarkers
health
disease

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 241 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Emotional Eating in Hispanic Girls and Boys: The Role of Anxiety and Sleep Quality

by Norma Olvera, Tamal J. Roy, Rhonda Scherer, Molly R. Matthews-Ewald, Weihua Fan and Consuelo Arbona

Nutrients 2025, 17(9), 1588; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17091588 - 5 May 2025

Viewed by 318

Abstract

Background/Objective: Emotional eating is a significant health problem associated with increased obesity and mental health among children and adolescents. Investigating emotional eating and its associated factors is critical, as it coincides with key developmental periods during which eating patterns are formed. This study assessed the contribution of anxiety and sleep quality to emotional eating among 232 Hispanic girls (n = 124, with a mean age of 10.23 years, SD = 1.40) and boys (n = 108, with a mean age of 10.36 years, SD = 1.57). Methods: This study used a correctional research design. Participants completed a series of surveys including demographics, acculturation, McKnight Risk Factor Survey-IV emotional eating subscale, Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Participants also had their objective body height and weight measured. Results: Descriptive analyses showed that most girls (84%) and boys (87%) were born in the United States and were either overweight (n = 24, 19% girls; n = 18, 17% boys) or with obesity (n = 61, 49% girls; n = 61, 56% boys). The hierarchical regression analyses revealed that, for girls, poor sleep quality was the sole significant factor associated with EE (β = 350, p < 0.001), controlling for age and BMI. For boys, poor sleep quality (β = 0.302, p < 0.01) and anxiety (β = 0.247, p < 0.05) were significant. Conclusions: The study’s findings suggest that emotional eating interventions may need to focus on reducing anxiety levels and improving sleep quality in Hispanic children and early adolescents Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Interdependence of Nutrition and Mental Well-Being)

15 pages, 886 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of the Energy-Adjusted Dietary Inflammation Index During Pregnancy on Prenatal Depression: The Mediating Effect of Sleep Quality

by Yuehan Yuan, Jingjing Xu, Qian Lin, Jing Deng, Yunfeng Pan and Jihua Chen

Nutrients 2025, 17(7), 1197; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17071197 - 29 Mar 2025

Viewed by 544

Abstract

(1) Background: Prenatal depression is prevalent and can adversely affect maternal and infant health. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between the energy-adjusted dietary inflammatory index (E-DII) and prenatal depression, as well as to explore the mediating effect of sleep quality. (2) Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 749 pregnant women were enrolled. The E-DII scores were evaluated using semi-quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaires (FFQ); the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS) was used to measure depression levels; and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) to evaluate the sleep quality of pregnant women. Binary logistic regression analysis was employed to analyze the relationships of E-DII with prenatal depression, of E-DII with sleep quality, and of sleep quality with prenatal depression. The bootstrap approach was employed to investigate the mediating effect of sleep quality. (3) Results: Findings indicated that a higher E-DII score was significantly associated with an increased risk of prenatal depression compared to the lowest score, and this association still existed after adjusting for sleep quality. In addition, the lowest E-DII score was also associated with a lower risk of poor sleep quality. Sleep quality played a partial mediating role in the association between E-DII and prenatal depression, and the proportion of the mediation effect relative to the total effect was 34.30%. (4) Conclusions: Sleep quality partially mediated the association between E-DII and prenatal depression. Close monitoring and proactive improvement of sleep quality among pregnant women following a pro-inflammatory diet may help reduce the risk of developing prenatal depression. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Interdependence of Nutrition and Mental Well-Being)

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17 pages, 253 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Treatment Experiences of Vegetarians and Vegans with an Eating Disorder: A Qualitative Study

by Courtney P. McLean, Kathleen de Boer, Megan F. Lee and Siân A. McLean

Nutrients 2025, 17(2), 345; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17020345 - 18 Jan 2025

Viewed by 2197

Abstract

Background: Vegetarianism and veganism have long been tied to disordered eating and are frequently considered to be methods of limiting available food choices. Health professionals specializing in eating disorder treatment may modify their treatment practices to support their vegetarian or vegan clients. However, there are no formally recognized clinical guidelines for the treatment of eating disorders in these groups. Moreover, no studies have yet explored the experiences of seeking and receiving eating disorder treatment while adhering to vegetarianism or veganism, which are needed to inform the development of guidelines. The present study aims to explore the lived experiences of vegetarians and vegans on eating disorder treatment through semi-structured interviews and reflexive thematic analysis. Methods: Seventeen participants (aged 19–48, 76% female, 41% vegan) with a history of receiving eating disorder treatment were recruited. Results: We identified five themes that participants described as important experiences for the treatment of their eating disorder when sought as a vegetarian or vegan: (1) Health professional perspectives, (2) The interaction of dietary status with treatment quality, (3) The give and take of treatment, (4) Lack of flexibility in treatment services, and (5) Current treatment approaches not well equipped to support dietary variations. Conclusions: This paper identifies the complex relationship between eating disorders, veganism, and vegetarianism and the perceptions of treatment from the perspectives of those who have received treatment. Our findings suggest that acknowledgement and the flexibility to work with an individual’s vegan and vegetarian values within treatment may contribute to enhanced outcomes and treatment experiences. Limitations include potential participation and response biases and a predominantly female-identifying sample. This study will contribute to the development of clinical guidelines when working with vegan and vegetarian clients. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Interdependence of Nutrition and Mental Well-Being)

18 pages, 290 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Unhealthy Eating Habits and Determinants of Diet Quality in Primary Healthcare Professionals in Poland: A Cross-Sectional Study

by Małgorzata Znyk and Dorota Kaleta

Nutrients 2024, 16(19), 3367; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16193367 - 3 Oct 2024

Viewed by 2345

Abstract

Background/Objectives: The aim of this work was to understand the factors influencing the prevalence of dietary behaviors, as well as determinants of unhealthy eating and diet quality among primary care physicians and nurses in Poland. Methods: A cross-sectional study involving 161 doctors and 331 nurses was conducted in the years 2020–2022 in primary healthcare settings. Results: Unhealthy eating habits affected GPs aged 40–54 years (42.9%), females (64.3%), those of normal body weight (67.9%), representing private medical practice (67.9%), who had over 20 years of work experience (42.8%). Similarly, among the group of nurses, unhealthy eating habits were reported in subjects aged 40–54 (46.5%), individuals with normal body weights (49.5%), those with one chronic disease (38.4%), representing public medical practice (63.6%), with over 20 years of work experience (40.4%), seeing ≤100 patients during the work week (84.8%). The univariable logistic regression analyses for unhealthy dietary habits showed that overweight GPs had lower odds of unhealthy eating habits (OR = 0.35; 95% CI: 0.11–1.08; p < 0.05). Among the nurses, the odds of unhealthy eating habits increased with the number of years of work. Nurses with 10–20 years of work experience had 1.23 times greater odds of unhealthy eating habits, while people working for more than 20 years had 1.81 times greater odds of unhealthy eating habits than individuals working for a period shorter than ten years (OR = 1.23; 95% CI: 0.68–2.23; p > 0.05 vs. OR = 1.81; 95% CI: p < 0.05). The multivariable logistic regression analysis did not show statistically significant results. Conclusions: These issues should be addressed when planning educational activities aimed at supporting healthcare professionals in implementing lifestyle changes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Interdependence of Nutrition and Mental Well-Being)

Review

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17 pages, 859 KiB

Open AccessReview

Meat Consumption and Depression: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

by Andrea Luque-Martínez, Ángel Francisco Ávila-Jiménez, Ángela Reinoso-Espín, Miguel Ángel Araújo-Jiménez, Cynthia Raquel Martos-Salcedo, Pablo González-Domenech, Sara Jiménez-Fernández, Virginia Martínez-Ruiz, Naomi Cano-Ibáñez and Mario Rivera-Izquierdo

Nutrients 2025, 17(5), 811; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17050811 - 26 Feb 2025

Viewed by 2433

Abstract

Background: Several original studies have reported an inconsistent association between low meat consumption (e.g., vegetarian diets) and the risk of depression. The aim of this study was to quantify the relationship between low meat consumption and depression, identifying possible sources of heterogeneity and the potential role of psychosocial variables. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed and reported according to PRISMA guidelines through a comprehensive search in Medline, Web of Science, Scopus, and PsychInfo databases from inception to January 2024 (PROSPERO registration ID: CRD42023405426). The exposures analyzed were (1) a meat-free diet and (2) a flexitarian (low-meat) diet. The outcome was depression. The meta-analysis included twenty longitudinal observational studies. Forest plots were designed, and heterogeneity was analyzed through I² statistic and subgroup analyses. Publication bias was assessed through funnel plots and Egger’s test. Results: The pooled overall analysis showed a protective association (HR: 0.74, 95%CI: 0.59–0.89, I² = 53.9%) between meat-free consumption and depression, which was consistent in the group of highest-quality studies. The main sources of heterogeneity identified were study quality, study design, year and country of publication, gender inequality in the country, and adjustment for certain variables (including social variables). The association between flexitarian diet and depression (HR: 0.90, 95%CI: 0.81–0.99, I² = 58.9%) was not consistent between subgroups. Conclusions: The results of this meta-analysis show a consistent protective association between meat-free diets and depression and an inconclusive association regarding flexitarian diet. Primary studies analyzing psychosocial variables are needed to explain these results. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Interdependence of Nutrition and Mental Well-Being)

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31 pages, 2477 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Power of Environment: A Comprehensive Review of the Exposome’s Role in Healthy Aging, Longevity, and Preventive Medicine—Lessons from Blue Zones and Cilento

by Silvana Mirella Aliberti and Mario Capunzo

Nutrients 2025, 17(4), 722; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17040722 - 18 Feb 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2843

Abstract

Aging and longevity are shaped by the exposome, a dynamic network of environmental, social, and biological factors. Understanding how these exposures interact with biological mechanisms can inform strategies for healthier aging. Background/Objectives: This review explores the exposome as a dynamic system encompassing both protective and risk factors, with a specific focus on how beneficial environmental exposures, microbiome diversity, lifestyle behaviors, and resilience mechanisms contribute to successful aging. By analyzing high-longevity populations, such as the Blue Zones and Cilento, it aims to identify common determinants of successful aging. Methods: A mixed-method study was conducted, combining a systematic review of the English literature (2003–2024) with a comparative analysis of longevity regions. A structured search was performed in PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar using keywords such as “longevity”, “Blue Zones”, “Cilento”, “microbiome”, “environmental factors”, and related terms. Additionally, qualitative and quantitative analysis were applied to assess key protective factors across different aging models. Results: This study identified key factors contributing to successful aging in longevity hotspots, including sustained exposure to biodiverse natural environments, adherence to Mediterranean or plant-based diet rich in polyphenols and probiotics, regular physical activity, strong social networks, and psychological resilience. A novel aspect of this review is the role of the gut microbiome as a mediator between environmental exposures and immune–metabolic health, influencing inflammation modulation and cellular aging. Despite geographic and cultural differences, case studies reveal a shared pattern of protective factors that collectively enhance lifespan and healthspan. Conclusions: The exposome is a critical determinant of aging trajectories, acting through complex interactions between environmental and biological mechanisms. By integrating insights from high-longevity populations, this mixed-method study proposes a comprehensive framework for optimizing microbiome health, enhancing resilience, and promoting protective environmental exposures. These findings provide a translational perspective to guide future interventions in aging research and global health initiatives. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Interdependence of Nutrition and Mental Well-Being)

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13 pages, 237 KiB

Open AccessReview

Ethical Issues and Challenges Regarding the Use of Mental Health Questionnaires in Public Health Nutrition Research

by Karim Khaled, Fotini Tsofliou and Vanora Hundley

Nutrients 2025, 17(4), 715; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17040715 - 18 Feb 2025

Viewed by 1577

Abstract

Background: The use of mental health questionnaires is common in desk-based public health epidemiological research; however, the burden this might put on participants and researchers has been questioned and has not been previously addressed. This paper delves into the ethical issues and challenges of using such scales and questionnaires, providing a real-life case study where the Beck’s Depression Inventory-II was used. Methods/Results: The ethical considerations raised by using mental health questionnaires in public health epidemiological research include incorrectly identifying participants as depressed or non-depressed; inability to identify participants for referral procedures due to the anonymous nature of some research studies; an increased burden on participants through depression and suicidal questions; and the high expectation of participants towards the researcher. Preventative measures to reduce these challenges include choosing appropriate cut-off scores for correctly identifying participants; highlighting whether the mental health questionnaires used may elicit negative emotional or psychological reactions related to suicidality; specifying the criteria for referral to clinical services; detailing the intended referral processes; including approaches where the researcher directly connects participants with a psychological service provider; and including a passive referral method such as contact details for participants to initiate their own referrals to clinical care. Conclusions: This paper serves as a guide for researchers aiming to collect data on mental health through questionnaires. The ethical challenges discussed in this paper should be considered and reviewed at all stages of the research project. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Interdependence of Nutrition and Mental Well-Being)

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