Causal relationships between dietary habits and five major mental disorders: A two-sample Mendelian randomization...

Area of Science:

• Nutritional Psychiatry
• Genetic Epidemiology
• Mental Health Research

Background:

• Dietary habits are increasingly recognized for their influence on mental well-being.
• Understanding the causal links between specific foods and mental disorders is crucial for public health.
• Previous research suggests associations, but causal evidence is often limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential causal relationships between specific dietary patterns and five major mental disorders.
• To utilize robust genetic methods to infer causality between diet and mental health outcomes.
• To analyze data from European populations for generalizability.

Main Methods:

• Employed a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis.
• Utilized genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary data for diet and mental disorders.
• Focused on genetic loci associated with "Never eat Wheat products," "Never eat Sugar," and "I eat all of the above" (eggs, dairy, wheat, sugar).

Main Results:

• A significant negative correlation was found between "Never eat Wheat products" and all five mental disorders (mania, bipolar disorder, manic depression, depression, schizophrenia).
• No significant causal relationship was observed between "Never eat Sugar" and the studied mental disorders.
• The dietary pattern "I eat all of the above" showed a significant positive correlation with mania, bipolar disorder, and manic depression, but not with depression or schizophrenia.

Conclusions:

• Avoiding wheat products appears to be causally associated with a reduced risk of developing the five major mental disorders.
• Dietary sugar intake did not show a significant causal link to the studied mental disorders in this analysis.
• Consuming a diet including eggs, dairy, wheat, and sugar may be associated with an increased risk for certain mental health conditions like mania and bipolar disorder.