Inflammatory Cytokines, but Not Dietary Patterns, Are Related to Somatic Symptoms of Depression in a Sample of Women

Background

Depression is a heterogenous disorder with both cognitive and somatic symptom dimensions that may differentially relate to systemic inflammation. Diet, which has the potential to modulate both inflammation levels and mood, is yet to be studied within the context of individual depression dimensions. This study examined the associations between inflammatory cytokines and dietary patterns with depressive symptom dimension profiles among a sample of women recruited in a non-clinical setting.

Methods

Inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and TNF-α), inflammatory diet (Diet Inflammatory Index; DII), and depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory-II; BDI-II) were measured in 136 females (M age = 22.01 ± 4.02, range 18-59 years). Multiple linear regressions were used to investigate the relationships between inflammatory cytokines and diet with self-reported cognitive, somatic, and total depressive symptoms, adjusting for demographic factors.

Results

Findings showed that increased somatic dimension scores were positively associated with IL-6 (ß = 0.273, p = 0.002) and TNF-α (ß = 0.215, p = 0.017), but not inflammatory diet (p = 0.300). Total BDI-II scores were only positively associated with IL-6 (ß = 0.221, p = 0.012), and cognitive dimension scores were not associated with any inflammation measures.

Conclusions

These findings contribute to existing evidence that inflammatory cytokines are associated with the somatic symptoms of depression. Inflammatory diet index was not associated with depression measures.

Plant-Based Diets Are Associated With Lower Adiposity Levels Among Hispanic/Latino Adults in the Adventist Multi-Ethnic Nutrition (AMEN) Study

Background: The Hispanic/Latino population in the US is experiencing high rates of obesity and cardio-metabolic disease that may be attributable to a nutrition transition away from traditional diets emphasizing whole plant foods. In the US, plant-based diets have been shown to be effective in preventing and controlling obesity and cardio-metabolic disease in large samples of primarily non-Hispanic subjects. Studying this association in US Hispanic/Latinos could inform culturally tailored interventions.

Objective: To examine whether the plant-based diet pattern that is frequently followed by Hispanic/Latino Seventh-day Adventists is associated with lower levels of adiposity and adiposity-related biomarkers.

Methods: The Adventist Multiethnic Nutrition Study (AMEN) enrolled 74 Seventh-day Adventists from five Hispanic/Latino churches within a 20 mile radius of Loma Linda, CA into a cross-sectional study of diet (24 h recalls, surveys) and health (anthropometrics and biomarkers).

Results: Vegetarian diet patterns (Vegan, Lacto-ovo vegetarian, Pesco-vegetarian) were associated with significantly lower BMI (24.5 kg/m² vs. 27.9 kg/m², p = 0.006), waist circumference (34.8 in vs. 37.5 in, p = 0.01), and fat mass (18.3 kg vs. 23.9 kg, p = 0.007), as compared to non-vegetarians. Adiposity was positively associated with pro-inflammatory cytokines (Interleukin-6) in this sample, but adjusting for this effect did not alter the associations with vegetarian diet.

Conclusions: Plant-based eating as practiced by US-based Hispanic/Latino Seventh-day Adventists is associated with BMI in the recommended range. Further work is needed to characterize this type of diet for use in obesity-related interventions among Hispanic/Latinos in the US.