Purpose of review: Depression and mood disorders impact a significant number of our population. The purpose of this review was to investigate the current literature on dietary strategies or supplements that may impact mood and cognition.
Recent findings: Several recent studies and reviews have found that promoting a "healthy" diet may help improve depressive symptoms, and that such interventions are cost-effective. Other reviews have found that there may be some benefit to multiple dietary interventions/supplementations on a variety of mood disorders. While these studies offer a safe, cost-effective option, the quality of evidence is poor. Regardless, promoting a healthy diet including healthy fats, whole grains, and a variety of fruits and vegetables promotes not only mental health, but also a variety of other chronic conditions. Thus, while not ready as standalone therapy, dietary counseling/intervention should be included as we address mental health concerns of our patients.
Keywords: Depression; Ketogenic diet; Mediterranean diet; Mood disorders; Probiotics.