Difference in diet between a general population national representative sample and individuals with alcohol use disorders, but not individuals with depressive or anxiety disorders

Fiber intake and fiber intervention in depression and anxiety: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies and randomized controlled trials

CONTEXT

Dietary fibers hold potential to influence depressive and anxiety outcomes by modulating the microbiota-gut-brain axis, which is increasingly recognized as an underlying factor in mental health maintenance.

OBJECTIVE

Evidence for the effects of fibers on depressive and anxiety outcomes remains unclear. To this end, a systematic literature review and a meta-analysis were conducted that included observational studies and randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

DATA SOURCES

The PubMed, Embase, CENTRAL, CINAHL, and PsychINFO databases were searched for eligible studies.

DATA EXTRACTION

Study screening and risk-of-bias assessment were conducted by 2 independent reviewers.

DATA ANALYSIS

Meta-analyses via random effects models were performed to examine the (1) association between fiber intake and depressive and anxiety outcomes in observational studies, and (2) effect of fiber intervention on depressive and anxiety outcomes compared with placebo in RCTs. A total of 181 405 participants were included in 23 observational studies. In cross-sectional studies, an inverse association was observed between fiber intake and depressive (Cohen's d effect size [d]: -0.11; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.16, -0.05) and anxiety (d = -0.25; 95%CI, -0.38, -0.12) outcomes. In longitudinal studies, there was an inverse association between fiber intake and depressive outcomes (d = -0.07; 95%CI, -0.11, -0.04). In total, 740 participants were included in 10 RCTs, all of whom used fiber supplements. Of note, only 1 RCT included individuals with a clinical diagnosis of depression. No difference was found between fiber supplementation and placebo for depressive (d = -0.47; 95%CI, -1.26, 0.31) or anxiety (d = -0.30; 95%CI, -0.67, 0.07) outcomes.

CONCLUSION

Although observational data suggest a potential benefit for higher fiber intake for depressive and anxiety outcomes, evidence from current RCTs does not support fiber supplementation for improving depressive or anxiety outcomes. More research, including RCTs in clinical populations and using a broad range of fibers, is needed.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION

PROSPERO registration no. CRD42021274898.

Narrative review on potential role of gut microbiota in certain substance addiction

As a neuropsychiatric disorder, substance addiction represents a major public health issue with high prevalence and mortality in many countries. Recently, gut microbiota has been certified to play a part in substance addiction through various mechanisms. Hence, we mainly focused on three substance including alcohol, cocaine and methamphetamine in this review, and summarized their relationships with gut microbiota, respectively. Besides, we also concluded the possible treatments for substance addiction from the perspective of applying gut microbiota. This review aims to build a bridge between substance addiction and gut microbiota according to existing evidences, so as to excavate the possible bi-directional function of microbiota-gut-brain axis in substance addiction for developing therapeutic strategies in the future.

High carbonated soft drink consumption is associated with externalizing but not internalizing behaviours among university students in five ASEAN states

Background

The investigation aimed to estimate the association between carbonated soft drink consumption frequency and externalizing and internalizing behaviour among university students in five ASEAN counties.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey included 3353 university students from Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, median age 20 years (interquartile range 3 years).

Results

In all five ASEAN countries, the study found a prevalence no soft drink consumption in the past 30 days of 20.3%, less than one time a day 44.7%, once a day 25.4% and two or more times a day 9.6%. In the adjusted logistic regression analysis, higher frequency of soft drink consumption (one and/or two or more times a day) was associated with externalizing behaviour (in physical fight, injury, current tobacco use, problem drinking, drug use, pathological internet use and gambling behaviour), and higher frequency of soft drink consumption (two or more times a day) was associated with depression in females, but no association was found for the general student population in relation to internalizing behaviour (depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, suicidal ideation, suicide plan, suicide attempt and sleeping problem).

Conclusions

Findings suggest that carbonated soft drink consumption is associated with a number of externalizing but not internalizing health risk behaviours.

Sugar-sweetened beverages consumption and the risk of depression: A meta-analysis of observational studies

BACKGROUND

It remains inconsistent whether sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) consumption increases the risk of depression. Thus, we carried out a meta-analysis to evaluate the association between SSBs consumption and the risk of depression.

METHODS

PubMed and Web of Science were searched for relevant articles published up to June 2018. Pooled relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated by the fixed-effects model or random effect model based on heterogeneity test.

RESULTS

10 observational studies involving 37,131 depression cases among 365,289 participants were included. The combined risk of depression for the highest versus lowest consumption of SSBs was 1.31 (95% CI 1.24-1.39). The findings were consistent in the cross-sectional studies (RR = 1.38; 95% CI 1.26-1.52) as well as in the cohort studies (RR = 1.30; 95% CI 1.19-1.41) A nonlinear dose-response relationship was found (P_nonlinearity = 0.0103) for depression risk and SSBs consumption. Compared with SSBs nondrinkers, those who drank the equivalent of 2 cups/day of cola might increase the risk of depression by 5% (RR = 1.05; 95% CI 1.01-1.09). And the equivalent of 3cans/day of cola might have approximately 25% higher risk of depression.

LIMITATIONS

10 studies were included in this meta-analysis, of which only 4 were cohort studies, and more cohort studies need to be performed in the future.

CONCLUSIONS

This meta-analysis indicates that SSBs consumption might be associated with a modestly higher risk of depression. The results need to be further confirmed in the future.