Calorie Restrictions, Low-Fat Diets May Reduce Depressive Symptoms
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, May 19, 2025 -- Among adults with elevated cardiometabolic risk, calorie restrictions and low-fat diets may reduce depressive symptoms, according to a review published online May 20 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Eman Abukmail, M.D., from the Institute for Evidence Based Healthcare at Bond University in Gold Coast, Australia, and colleagues examined the effects of dietary interventions on depression and anxiety in a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Data were included from 25 randomized controlled trials.
The researchers found that for adults with elevated cardiometabolic risk, depressive symptoms might be improved by dietary advice on calorie restriction compared with no specific dietary advice (standardized mean difference, −0.23; low-certainty). Small effects on depressive symptoms may be seen with low-fat diets among adults with elevated cardiometabolic risk (standardized mean difference, −0.03). Limited evidence was seen for other diets, comparing diets with active comparisons, and on anxiety.
"In conclusion, calorie restrictions and low-fat diets might reduce depressive symptoms among adults with elevated cardiometabolic risk, but the differences were small, and confidence in the findings was low," the authors write. "Evidence on other diets, comparisons to active interventions, and other outcomes is limited."
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted May 2025
Read this next
Insomnia Plays a Role in Quality of Life for Patients With ADHD
MONDAY, July 21, 2025 -- Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms are associated with lower quality of life (QoL) in adults, and this association is only partially...
Seniors With Insomnia More Vulnerable to Inflammatory Challenge-Induced Depression
MONDAY, July 21, 2025 -- Older adults with insomnia are more vulnerable to depressive mood and symptoms in response to inflammatory exposure, according to a study published online...
Few Discontinuation Symptoms Reported After Stopping Antidepressants
THURSDAY, July 17, 2025 -- Most individuals do not go through severe withdrawal after discontinuing antidepressants, according to a study published online July 9 in JAMA...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.