The association between paleolithic diet pattern scores and psychological disorders in Iranian adults

There is evidence indicating that the transition from traditional Paleolithic lifestyle to contemporary lifestyle plays a significant impact in the occurrence and widespread of psychological problems. This study aimed to examine the associations between the Paleolithic diet (PD) and the Paleolithic-like lifestyle and the likelihood of psychological issues in adults.

A cross-sectional study was conducted on 7165 participants who were enrolled in the Yazd Health Study (YaHS) and Yazd Nutrition Study (TAMYZ). To evaluate the participants' food intake, a reliable 178-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was utilized. The PD score was computed using the food intakes of subjects received from FFQ. The study utilized the authorized Iranian version of the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS 21) to evaluate psychological illnesses and stress levels.

The mean ± SD of PD and Paleolithic-like lifestyle scores were 38.93 ± 5.27 and 48.48 ± 5.61, respectively. Based on the findings of the present study, after adjusting for potential confounders, it seems that increasing adherence to PD alone or in combination with lifestyle factors significantly reduces the risk of anxiety (OR = 0.68, 95% CI 0.49-0.96; P-trend = 0.044 and OR = 0.68, 95% CI 0.48-0.96; P-trend = 0.047, respectively). However, significant effects on the risk of depression and stress were not observed.

Our research indicates that adhering to a Paleolithic diet, either alone or in conjunction with lifestyle factors, significantly reduces the risk of anxiety in the general population.