Diet and calorie restriction may influence depression risk
Image credit: lazywhiskey via Unsplash
A recent study published in BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health journal suggests that cutting calories too much may have unintended mental health effects. The findings suggest caution with overly restrictive or unbalanced diets, especially for those already experiencing weight-related stress or challenges. The study also found that people who ate more ultra processed foods, refined carbs, and saturated fats tended to report higher levels of depression. Whereas, those who followed a more Mediterranean-style diet were generally less likely to report such symptoms. While the findings don’t show a direct cause-and-effect relationship, they point to a possible connection between dietary habits and mental well-being.
Source
Gabriella Menniti, Shakila Meshkat, Qiaowei Lin, Wendy Lou, Amy Reichelt, Venkat Bhat - Mental health consequences of dietary restriction: increased depressive symptoms in biological men and populations with elevated BMI: BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health 2025;8:.
Additional Reading
https://people.com/low-calorie-diets-could-cause-depression-new-study-says-11749363
https://www.aol.com/calorie-cutting-diets-could-tied-223341975.html