Overview

• The Canadian-led study in BMJ Nutrition Prevention & Health analyzed diet and depression questionnaires from 28,525 US adults in NHANES data.
• Participants following low-calorie diets reported higher scores for depressive symptoms, with the strongest associations in men and those classified as overweight.
• Researchers warn that unsupervised calorie cutting can cause deficiencies in protein, vitamins and minerals that contribute to mood disturbances.
• Diet quality influenced depression risk, as Mediterranean-style eaters had lower symptom scores and those consuming more ultra-processed foods showed higher risk.
• Experts call for balanced, personalized dietary recommendations and further randomized trials to clarify how calorie restriction impacts mental health.