Diet and Depression Research Is Too Close to Food Is Medicine Narrative

• Episode page (with more links)
• Subscribe to Premium

Depression is a common disorder and is a leading cause of disability worldwide. Depression results from a complex interaction of social, psychological, and biological factors.

Diet has been one area that has been suggested in playing a role; from potential for exacerbating symptoms to being a treatment. And while some associations have been noted, many claims far exceed what (little) evidence exists.

Online it is common to see people claiming certain diets can treat depression or that certain foods will improve outcomes. However, does the evidence match such claims?

In trials that have been published on diet-depression, there has been considerable media attention and fanfare around some results. For example, the SMILES trial published out of Australia. However, some have raised considerable concerns about the interpretation of such findings.

In this episode, clinical psychologist Dr. Nicole Lippman-Barile is on the podcast to discuss what we currently know about diet and depression, what issues exist with current studies, and why many nutrition-mental health studies are being incorrently interpreted.