Table 1.
Controlled Trials on Dietary Interventions for Depression.
| Author-Year | Study | Population | Intervention | Sample | Outcome measure | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agarwal 2015 | GEICO | Healthy employees | Vegan diet v no intervention | Randomized (n = 292) | SF-36 |
|
depression, anxiety, QOL |
| Almeida 2014 | B-VITAGE Adjunctive to antidepressants | Major depression >age 50 | VB6/VB12/Fol v Pla | Randomized (n = 153) | MADRS |
|
relapse, MADRS NS |
| Andreevna 2012 | SU.FOLOM3 | CAD patients | EPA/DHA v placebo | Randomized (n = 2501) | GDS | NS depression | |
| Assaf 2016 | WHI Study | Women | Low fat diet v no intervention | Randomized (48,835) | CES-D | NS depression | |
| Bedson 2014 | FolATED Adunctive to antidepressants | Patients with depression | Fol v pla | Randomized (n = 475) | BDI, MADRS | NS depression | |
| Bot 2010 | Patients with MDD & Diabetes | EPA v placebo | Randomized (n = 25) | MADRAS | NS depression | ||
| Carney 2009 | Adjunctive to antidepressants | Patients with CAD & depression | DHA/EPA v placebo | Randomized (n = 122) | HDRS, BDI | NS depression | |
| Carney 2019 | Adjunctive to antidepressants | Patients with CAD or hi risk & depression | EPA v placebo | Randomized (n = 144) | HDRS, BDI | NS depression | |
| Coppen 2000 | Adjunctive to antidepressants | Major depression | Fol v pla | Randomized (n = 127) | HDRS |
|
depression |
| Da Silva 2008 | Adjunct ±antidepressants | Patients with PD & depression | Fish oil v placebo | Randomized (n = 31) | MADRAS, BDI |
|
MADRS depression, BDI NS |
| De Koning 2016 | B-PROOF | Community sample, older adults | Fol/VB12 v pla | Randomized (n = 2,919) | GDS | NS depression | |
| Doornbos 2009 | Pregnant women | EPA/DHA v placebo | Randomized (n = 119) | EPDS | NS depression | ||
| Endevelt 2011 | Israel | Elderly at risk for malnutrition | 5 visits with dietician & MD v booklet v nothing | Randomized (n = 127) | GDS |
|
Depression with dietician & MD |
| Einvik 2010 | Oslo Diet & Antismoking Study | Patients with hyperlipidemia | n-3 PUFAs v placebo v dietary counseling | Randomized (n =563) | HADS | NS depression | |
| Forster 2012 | UK | Elderly in community | Diet intervention v supplement v placebo | Randomized (n = 217) | GDS | NS depression | |
| Freeman 2008 | Adjunctive to therapy | Perinatal MDD | DHA/EPA v placebo | Randomized (n = 51) | HDRS | NS depression | |
| Garcia Toro 2016 | Adjunctive to antidepressants | Patients with depression | Med Diet adherenec | Observational (n = 273) | BDI | NS depression | |
| Gharekhani 2014 | Hemodialysis patients with depressive symptoms | DHA/EPA v placebo | Randomized (n = 54) | BDI |
|
Depression | |
| Gertsik 2012 | Adjunctive to antidepressants | Patients with depression | Citalopram + EPA/DHA/O3FA v Cit + pla | Randomized (n = 46) | HDRS |
|
depression |
| Grenyer 2007 | ±Adjunctive to antidepressants | Patients with depression | DHA/EPA (fish oil) v placebo | Randomized (n = 83) | HDRS, BDI | NS depression | |
| Halyburton 2007 | Overweight or Obese patients | Low carb high fat v high carb low fat diet | Randomized (n = 93) | POMS, BDI |
|
Weight in both groups, cognition low fat, NS depression | |
| Hyypa 2003 | Men with hyper- cholesterolemia | Simvistatin v Med Diet v placebo | Randomized (n = 120) | BSI |
|
NS depression | |
| Imayama 2011 | Obese and overweight post-menopausal women | Weight loss diet, exercise v no intervention | Randomized (n = 439) | BSI |
|
Depression diet/exercise, NS depression diet alone | |
| Jacka 2017 | SMILES study | Patients with clinical depression | Med. Diet v Social Support | Randomized (n = 67) | MADRAS |
|
Depression |
| Jazayeri 2008 | Patients with clinical depression | Flu + EPA v flu + pla v EPA + pla | Randomized (n = 60) | HDRS |
|
Depression | |
| Jenkinson 2009 | Obese patients with knee pain | Diet v exercise v no intervention | Randomized (n = 389) | HADS |
|
Depression | |
| Kasckow 2014 | Veterans with symptoms of depression | Diet Education Group v PST | Randomized (n = 45) | BDI, SF-36 |
|
NS depression, GMH |
|
| Kasckow 2014 | Veterans with symptoms of depression | Diet Education Group v PST | Randomized (n = 60) | BDI | NS depression | ||
| Kwok 2019 | Older MCI+ H-Hcy | VB12/fol v pla | Randomized (n = 279) | CDR, HDRS |
|
Depression | |
| Llorente 2003 | Obese and overweight post-menopausal women | DHA v placebo | Randomized (n = 439) | BSI | NS depression | ||
| Lesperance 2011 | Patients with depression | EPA/DHA v placebo | Randomized (n = 432) | IDS | NS depression | ||
| Llorente 2003 | Pregnant women | DHA v pla | Randomized (n = 99) | BDI | |||
| Lucas 2009 | Middle aged women with symptoms of depression | EPA/DHA v pla | Randomized (n = 120) | HDRS | NS depression | ||
| Makrides 2010 | DOMInO study | Pregnant women | DHA v pla | Randomized (n = 2399) | EPDS | NS depression | |
| Marangell 2003 | Patients with depression | DHA v placebo | Randomized (n = 36) | MADRAS | NS depression | ||
| McMillan 2011 | Young healthy women | Med Diet v no intervention | Randomized (n = 25) | POMS |
|
NS depression, cognition
. vigor |
|
| Mech 2016 | MDD+ MTHFR | VB6/VB12 v pla | Randomized (n = 330) | MADRS |
|
depression | |
| Mischoulon 2009 | Patients with depression | EPA v placebo | Randomized (n = 35) | HDRS | NS depression | ||
| Mischoulon 2015 | Patients with depression | EPA v DHA v placebo | Randomized (n = 196) | HDRS | NS depression | ||
| Mozaffari-Khosravi 2013 | Patients with depression | EPA v DHA v placebo | Randomized (n = 81) | HDRS |
|
Depression EPA, DHA NS depression | |
| Mozurkewich 2013 | The Mothers, Omega-3 and Mental Health Study | Pregnant with symptoms of depression | EPA Fish oil v DHA fish oil v placebo | Randomized (n = 118) | BDI | NS depression | |
| Nemets 2002 | Adjunctive to antidepressants | Patients with MDD | EPA v placebo | Randomized (n = 20) | HDRS |
|
Depression |
| Nemets 2006 | Children with depression | EPA/DHA v placebo | Randomized (n = 28) | CDI, CDRS |
|
Depression | |
| Nieman 2000 | Obese women | Exercise and/or weight loss diet v wait list | Randomized (n = 91) | POMS | NS depression | ||
| Okereke 2015 | WAFACS | Normal women | VB6/VB12/Fol v pla | Randomized (n = 4331) | Clin dx | NS depression | |
| Peet 2002 | Adjunct to TAU | Patients with MDD | EPA v placebo | Randomized (n = 70) | HDRS, MADRAS |
|
Depression |
| Poppitt 2009 | Patients with Ischemic Stroke | Fish Oil with O3FA v pla | Randomized (n = 102) | GHQ | NS depression | ||
| Rees 2008 | Perinatal MDD | DHA/EPA (fish oil) v placebo | Randomized (n = 26) | HDRS, MADRAS | NS depression | ||
| Rondanelli 2010 | Elderly women with depression | DHA/EPA v placebo | Randomized (n = 46) | GDS |
|
depression | |
| Scheier 2005 | Young Women with Breast Cancer | Nutrion group v Health Ed v TAU | Randomized (n = 252) | CES-D |
|
Depression with nutrition group | |
| Serrano Ripoll 2015 | Primary Care Patients | Diet & exercise instructions v control | Randomized (n = 273) | BDI | NS depression | ||
| Silvers 2005 | Patients with MD in treatment | EPA/DHA (Fish oil) v placebo | Randomized (n = 77) | HDRS | NS depression | ||
| Sinn 2012 | Patients with MCI | DHA v EPA v linoleic acid | Randomized (n = 50) | GDS |
|
Depression | |
| Stoll 1999 | Patients with Bipolar Disorder | EPA/DHA (Fish oil) v placebo | Randomized (n = 30) | Time to relapse (clinical) | Delayed relapse | ||
| Su 2003 | Adjunct to TAU | MDD | EPA/DHA v placebo | Randomized (n = 28) | HDRS |
|
depression |
| Su 2008 | Pregnant women with MDD | EPA/DHA v placebo | Randomized (n = 36) | HDRS |
|
depression | |
| Su 2014 | Interferon patients | DHA or EPA v placebo | Randomized (n = 162) | Mini |
|
Depression onset | |
| Tajalizadekhoob 2011 | Adjunct to TAU | Elderly with mild to mod depression | EPA/DHA (Fish oil) v placebo | Randomized (n = 66) | GDS |
|
depression |
| Tayama 2019 | Patients with mild to mod depression | EPA/DHA v placebo | Randomized (n = 90) | BDI | NS depression | ||
| Toobert 2007 | Med Lifestyle Program | Postmenopausal women with DM2 | Med Diet & exercise v control | Randomized (n = 279) | CES-D | NS depression or QOL | |
| Wardle 2000 | Patients with hyper- cholesterolemia | Low fat v Med Diet v wait list | Randomized (n = 176) | BDI, POMS | NS depression | ||
Controlled trials of the effects of diet and/or diet education on symptoms of depression. Studies in italics include trials of patients with clinical depression. BDI = Beck Depression Inventory; BSI = Brief Symptom Inventory; CAD=Coronary Artery Disease; CDI = Children’s Depression Inventory; Clin dx=clinician diagnosis of depression; CRD = Clinical Dementia Rating Scale; CDRS=Children’s Depression Rating Scale; CES-D = Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale; Cit = citalopram; DM2 = Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus; DOMInO=DHA to Optimize Mother Infant Outcome trial; EDPS = Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale; Flu = fluoxetine; Fol = Folate; GDS=Geriatric Depression Scale; GHQ = General Health Questionnaire; GMH = General Mental Health; HADS = Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale; Hcy = homocysteine; H-Hcy = hyperhomocysteinemia; HDRS = Hamilton Depression Rating Scale; IDS = Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology; n-3 PUFAs = n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids; MADRAS = Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale; MCI = Mild Cognitive Impairment; MDD = Major Depression Disorder; Med Diet = Mediterranean Diet; Mini = Mini International Psychiatric Interview; MTHFR = methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase plymorphism; NS = non significant (no difference between study groups); O3FA = Omega-3 Fatty Acids; Pla = Placebo; POMS = Profile of Mood States; PST = Problem Solving Therapy; Rem = remission of depressive symptoms; SF-36 = Short Form 36 Items (Quality of Life (QOL), depression, anxiety); SMILES = Supporting the Modification of Lifestyles in Lowered Emotional States (trial); TAU = Treatment as Usual; VB12 = Vitamin B-12; = decrease; = increase; VB6 = Vitamin B-6WHI = Women’s Health Initiative.