A study recently published in Nutritional Neuroscience found that people who follow a healthy diet are less likely to suffer from anxiety disorders, while those who adhere to more Westernized or mixed diets might face greater challenges with anxiety severity.
Anxiety disorders are one of the most common mental health issues worldwide, affecting nearly one in five people each year. Despite the widespread use of treatments like therapy and medication, many people continue to struggle with anxiety, which can severely affect their quality of life. This has led scientists to explore alternative or complementary ways to manage anxiety, including changes in diet.
Previous research had often focused on specific nutrients, such as omega-3 fatty acids or vitamin D, but these studies provided inconsistent results. More recently, scientists have shifted their attention to broader dietary patterns, which may offer a more comprehensive view of how food choices affect mental health.
In particular, the researchers wanted to explore how different diets might influence anxiety disorders specifically, rather than general mental health. They were also interested in studying these effects within the context of a diverse cultural background, in this case, Iran, which has a rich and varied culinary tradition.
To conduct the study, the researchers employed a case-control design, which involved comparing two groups of people: those with anxiety disorders and those without. The study took place in Tehran, Iran, between 2021 and 2022 and involved 255 participants — 85 people with diagnosed anxiety disorders and 170 healthy individuals.
Participants in the anxiety group were diagnosed by psychiatrists according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), which is a widely used guide for diagnosing mental health conditions. The severity of their anxiety was measured using the General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) questionnaire, a tool that helps assess the intensity of anxiety symptoms.
The researchers collected detailed information about each participant’s diet using a food frequency questionnaire designed specifically for the Iranian population. This questionnaire asked participants to recall how often they consumed 147 different types of food over the past year. Based on this data, the researchers used a statistical method called principal component analysis to identify three major dietary patterns among the participants: the “healthy” pattern, the “Western” pattern, and a “mixed” pattern.
The healthy pattern was characterized by a high intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, and low-fat dairy products. The Western pattern included foods such as red and processed meats, sugary snacks, fast food, and refined grains. The mixed pattern contained elements of both the healthy and Western patterns, reflecting a more varied diet that combined aspects of both.
The researchers found that people who followed a healthy dietary pattern were less likely to suffer from anxiety disorders. In other words, as adherence to a healthy diet increased, the likelihood of having an anxiety disorder decreased. In fact, those who adhered most closely to this healthy diet had about a 74% lower likelihood of having an anxiety disorder compared to those who did not follow this pattern.
The researchers also examined the severity of anxiety. Adherence to the healthy dietary pattern was associated with lower anxiety severity scores on the GAD-7 questionnaire, meaning that those who ate healthier experienced less intense anxiety symptoms. On the other hand, greater adherence to the Western and mixed dietary patterns was linked to higher anxiety severity scores, indicating that these diets might exacerbate anxiety symptoms.
The researchers controlled for various factors, including age, gender, energy intake, marital status, education, medication use, vitamin supplement use, smoking status, alcohol consumption, physical activity, health status, past medical history, and body mass index, to isolate the specific impact of dietary patterns on anxiety disorder.
But, as with all research, there are limitations. The study’s design — specifically, its reliance on self-reported data — could introduce bias. Participants might not accurately remember their dietary habits, or they might report them in a way they think is more favorable. Additionally, the study only shows an association between diet and anxiety; it does not prove that one causes the other. It’s possible that people with anxiety might change their eating habits as a result of their condition, rather than their diet being the cause of their anxiety.
The study, “The association of major dietary patterns with odds and severity of anxiety disorders: a case–control study,” was authored by Kimia Torabynasab, Hossein Shahinfar, Sheida Zeraattalab-Motlagh, Shima Jazayeri, Mohammad Effatpanah, and Leila Azadbakht.
